Undertale: Chronicle - 2 - Internal Storms
by TheOriginalTale
Summary: Nearly 600 years have passed since humans and monsters first met. Despite the king's best efforts though, not all monsters are pleased with their human neighbors. Sometimes, drastic actions need to be taken. A new era has begun. It may lead the kingdom to crumble apart from the inside. Another chapter in the Undertale: Chronicle AU.
1. The Fallen Crown

The door swung open. The fox led the way in, then stood behind by the door, folding his hands behind his back as he stared at the floor. Asgrid slowly walked into the room, hardly able to believe it. His heavy feet carried him to the side of the bed, where he stared down in shock. Tears in the blankets and mattress were visible beneath two piles of dust mingling together on the sheets.

He gulped, choking back tears, but his voice was still broken, and sounded hoarse as he spoke. "When…"

The fox kept his sad gaze on the floor. "At least four hours ago."

The prince looked up, taking a deep breath before going to an open window, the curtains fluttering inward from the breeze.

"T...They must have come in through here…" He then turned back to the fox. "Find them."

The fox was hesitant. "I...I don't know if…"

Asgrid suddenly screamed. "_I SAID FIND THEM, TERROWIN!_"

Terrowin looked up at the outburst, trying to explain himself. "Sire, it happened in the middle of the night! They could be miles outside of the capital by now, we would need to search the whole kingdom!"

Asgrid snarled. "Then that's what we'll do! But we _will_ not rest until the murderers are found! For now, lock down the city. _NOBODY_ goes in or out without my knowledge. Understand?!"

Terrowin cleared his throat. "Yes, Prince Asgrid."

Asgrid stalked past Terrowin, walking outside the palace into the courtyard. He walked quickly around the side of the inner walls, looking up to spy his parents' bedroom window. He then looked down to the bushes below. Muddy boot prints on the side of the wall confirmed his theory.

The assassins had indeed scaled the palace wall, and one of the bushes lay half-squashed before him. He let out an angry yell, impulsively throwing a small fireball against the palace wall. He immediately stopped himself, and sighed when he saw the small flame hadn't done any damage.

Terrowin cleared his throat as he found him.

"I am deeply sorry for the loss of the king and queen, sire...but we must focus on your coronation. The kingdom needs a leader. That mantle...now falls to you."

Asgrid closed his eyes, nodding slowly. "Yes...Yes, it does. You are correct. Let us make it brief. I want these traitorous bastards found, dead or alive."

Terrowin stood straighter. "Of course. I will begin making the preparations immediately."

With this, he left Asgrid alone. Soon, Asgrid also walked away from the bushes as the sun began to rise. The shock was still settling inside him, but he knew he would need to come to terms quickly with the fact: Ausgrid and Eleanora Dreemurr were dead.

* * *

The room was lit only by candles, their gentle light bouncing off of the rich metal in the room's fixtures to create dancing shadows along the walls Asgrid slowly walked to the center of the room. The only other monsters present were the advisors closest to Ausgrid. The Royal Scientists, the royal translator and closest messenger, along with some of Ausgrid's closer friends. Terrowin stepped forward and Asgrid got down on one knee, staring at the floor.

"Prince Asgrid Dreemurr. You are here today to be crowned king of Paral. This ceremony means that his majesty, King Ausgrid Dreemurr, has fallen. Do you hereby accept the responsibilities that come with the title as king?"

Asgrid spoke clearly. "I do."

"As king of Paral, there is the chance that your life will be in constant jeopardy. Do you accept these risks?"

"I do."

"Do you swear to, no matter the cost, put the lives of your people ahead of your own?"

"I do."

"Then I, Captain Terrowin Vonner of the Royal Guard, declare you, King Asgrid Dreemurr, rightful ruler of Paral!" He felt the golden crown lined with rubies and emeralds placed on his head. Terrowin stepped back, and all the voices called in unison.

"All hail the new king! Long may he reign!"

Asgrid stood up, gazing around at the faces surrounding him, nodding to them all.

Terrowin spoke again. "Your majesty, as Captain of the Royal Guard, I pledged an oath to defend the king to my very last breath. This oath has carried from Ausgrid, down to yourself. I promise you, sire, I will do my very best to bring justice upon the assassins, even if it means sacrificing my life in the process."

Asgrid took a step forward, clasping Terrowin's shoulder. "You served my father well, I do not doubt you will uphold my expectations of you, Captain. Now, I must address my subjects."

Terrowin nodded, and followed Asgrid out of the room. Immediately across the hall, Asgrid let himself outside onto the balcony. The balcony overlooked the palace courtyard, which was now teeming with monsters that had come from all across the city of Ebott and the cities surrounding it to see the new king. There was an eerie silence before Asgrid spoke.

"It brings me great pain to bring this news. His majesty King Ausgrid Dreemurr and Queen Eleanora Dreemurr were both found dead in their chambers earlier this morning."

A widespread gasp ran through the crowd. Asgrid waited until silence had once again fallen over the crowd.

"Moments ago I was crowned the king of Paral. My first vow to you, the people of Paral, is to determine the cause behind the deaths of the king and queen. I…" He paused, choking back emotion. "I understand this is sad news. I would be lying if I said it did not break my heart as well. They were more than just a king and queen to me. They were my father and mother. They will be missed dearly no matter where they are. A...A memorial service for them will take place in the capital city in exactly one month's time. Every citizen of Paral is invited. Until then, the kingdom is to enter a state of mourning. King Ausgrid was one of the best kings a kingdom could hope for, I know I am not the only one that feels this way. We should take the time to honor him as such. The king is dead. Long live the king! Long live the queen!"

The crowd took up the chant. Asgrid saw over eight horses ride out of the courtyard. These were messengers given special permission to leave the city to deliver the news around the kingdom. He turned back, walking back into the palace where Terrowin met him.

"You didn't tell them it was an assasination…"

Asgrid nodded. "I know. But, if I were to tell them that, it would simply cause undue panic. Besides, all we know is they were assassinated. I would rather we wait until we know more before we say anything further."

Terrowin nodded. "I understand."

Before he could leave though, Asgrid called him back. "Captain...I meant what I said. When we find them, I don't care what state you bring them to me in. But...capture them alive if you can. I want to be the one to deal the killing blow."

Terrowin nodded. "Understood. I will begin my investigations immediately."

With this, Terrowin walked away, leaving Asgrid alone in the hall, the crowd still chanting from the courtyard. He whispered to himself as he began to walk back to his own bed chambers.

"Long live the king."


	2. Memorial

The night was still and silent as Asgrid left the palace gates, stepping into the streets of Ebott. A black cloak replaced his bright royal robes, the hood pulled over his head. Behind him, Terrowin followed dressed in the same cloak, as was every other member of the entourage. The city was lit with citizens from all over the kingdom, holding dim candles as they stared at the occasional sob could be heard from the crowd, though Asgrid barely noticed.

In his hands was a beautifully crafted urn, holding the dust of Ausgrid. Terrowin carried an identical urn containing Eleanora's. Together, they and the small group walked towards the city gates, soon leaving the city. They began to follow a trail through the woods surrounding the city. All along the path, countless members of the Royal Guard stood watch, searching for any sign of danger. Despite their readiness for combat, they too wore black robes of mourning.

After nearly half an hour of walking, they reached the top of a ridge just above the treeline, overlooking the city. Here, a breeze whispered along the tops of the trees. Terrowin took his place beside Asgrid, as both of them removed the tops of the urns and slowly began to empty their contents, watching as the dust was picked up by the wind, carried off to dissipate.

It was an old tradition done with monster funerals; the deceased's dust would be given to the wind. Wherever it landed, the ground would grow rich with life. Ausgrid had insisted that in the event of his death, he wanted his dust to be able to be spread across the whole nation. While Asgrid was aware this would probably never happen, it was nice to come as close as he could to fulfilling that wish.

Two holes had already been dug out in the ground earlier in the day. The two stooped down, placing the now empty urns in the holes, then stepped back, watching as two undertakers began to fill them in.

Asgrid reached up, having to wipe a tear from his eyes. Once the graves had been filled, the undertakers departed, and Asgrid began to walk back to the city with Terrowin and the other members of the procession. One of the monsters walked slightly quicker, slowing when he came beside Asgrid.

"I cannot begin to express how sorry I am for your loss."

Asgrid nodded numbly. "I appreciate the sentiment, King Brynmore."

The griffin smiled softly. "Please, Ausgrid only ever called me Brynmore, never bothered with any of this 'king' stuff. You are free to do the same."

Asgrid sighed. "If you so insist. You two were particularly close?"

The king of Zekar chuckled. "Oh, yes. A few years before you were born, when we had a terrible famine, it was your father who provided us with enough food to fill our bellies and have leftovers. He was really quite generous."

Asgrid couldn't help but crack a smile himself. "He was always one to help everybody else."

Brynmore's smile faded. "I still can't believe he's gone. He just died mysteriously one night? Just like that?"

Asgrid nodded. "Mhm…"

He was quiet for a few moments, before speaking again. "Well. I do hope you figure out the reason behind his death. And...if you ever need any help whatsoever...you have a friend in me."

Asgrid glanced over to him. The look the griffin gave him told him that Brynmore knew he wasn't telling the whole truth, but he wouldn't be persisting further. Asgrid then gave a short nod before they entered the city again. By now much of the original crowd had dissipated. Only the occasional civilian was out, offering condolences to Asgrid. Once inside the palace, Asgrid led the way to the dining hall, sitting down at a table with Brynmore and the fiery elemental, the king of Tarus. Asgrid glanced to one of the servants.

"Fetch me a cup of wine, would you?" Brynmore nodded for the same.

Brynmore nudged the elemental. "What about you Amos? Water?"

Asgrid couldn't help but chuckle. Both of them knew that elementals didn't have traditional drinks due to their more elemental states.

Amos rolled his eyes. "Oh God, don't start with that. Ausgrid was bad enough with just _starting_ that joke." He muttered under his breath. "I wouldn't mind if that joke died with him."

Asgrid chuckled a bit louder while the servant returned with both cups of wine. "Was it really Ausgrid that came up with that whole joke?"

Amos seemed to be grinning, his flame shining a bit brighter. "Oh, yes. He teased my father about it, and his father...goodness, he has had a lifespan hasn't he?"

Asgrid smirked. "Being unaging has its perks."

Brynmore raised his goblet. "Well, I think I speak for all of us when I say that he and Eleanora will both be greatly missed. A toast to remember our fallen friends and family, and to celebrate the ushering in of another generation." He nodded to Asgrid as he too raised his glass, the two of them downing their glasses.

Ausgrid took a breath as he set it down. "I do want to thank the both of you for taking the time to come all the way out here. Especially you, Amos, I know it is quite a ways for you."

Amos shook his head. "Nonsense. It was an honor to be invited. Ausgrid was good friends with all of us. I want to echo Brynmore's thoughts, though. Having been a king for years, I can say that the first year is always going to be the hardest. If you ever need help or advice, we will both always be here."

Ausgrid smiled as he nodded slowly. "I appreciate it."

Brynmore clasped his shoulder. "Think nothing of it. It's the least we could do after all Ausgrid's done for both of us. Now, let us forget these matters for now and drink our sorrows away."

Asgrid laughed. "Here, here." The three broke out into laughter and jokes, remembering the best time with Ausgrid and Eleanora. Not as three kings, but as three friends.

* * *

Laughter echoed throughout the clearing. Asgrid threw another tiny fireball at his father, laughing more as the king pretended to be mortally wounded, making a dramatic show of falling onto the ground. Asgrid pounced on Ausgrid, all while Eleanora shook her head close by, a large smile on her face.

"I beat you again Dad! I told you, I'm the best!" Asgrid shouted triumphantly.

Ausgrid grunted as Asgrid sat on his chest. Eleanora finished laying out the blanket on top of the hill, overlooking some of the farmlands.

"Hey, my two kings! Lunch is ready!"

Asgrid immediately scrambled off Ausgrid, running over to the picnic blanket. Ausgrid joined them shortly, shaking his head playfully.

Asgrid pointed down the hill at the farms below. "How come we're eating here and not at home? Like, there's all those poorer people out there."

Ausgrid sighed, patting Asgrid's head. "Son, those 'poorer people' are the same people that gave you the food you're eating right now."

Asgrid's eyes boggled. "Really?! I thought they came from the palace kitchen!"

Ausgrid chuckled. "Yes, but the food had to get to the kitchen. See, these people work very hard every day to make food for their families, but they make extra food they don't keep. They bring it to the cities to sell it. Oftentimes they need to travel for days at a time to make the trip. Some farms, that one down there in particular, have their food delivered straight to the palace, where we prepare it and eat it. To thank them, we give them money so they can continue to make delicious food for us. You need to learn to appreciate even the poor people of your kingdom, my son, they're the backbone of just about everything. Without them, you would never be able to survive."

Asgrid nodded thoughtfully. "I never knew they were so important. I always thought you guys did all the work."

Eleanora giggled. "Well, we do work hard as well, but we take care of other matters in the kingdom, things that normal people like them wouldn't know how to handle. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to learn more, we're going to make these trips more and more until you know what you need to know about running a kingdom. But in the meanwhile, let's get to eating, hmm?"

As Asgrid bit into the sandwich, something urged him to look behind him. As he took a glance over his shoulder, he frowned as he saw a hooded figure gazing at him from behind one of the trees, the bottom of the figure's cloak fluttering in the breeze. He turned back to ask his parents about it, but then froze. His parents were gone. In their place, two piles of dust already floating away to the farmland below.

He rubbed his eyes, then found himself still sitting on the picnic blanket. But, all the food was gone, and he was now in a black void. He felt a drowning sensation inside him. He tried to wail for his parents. His vocal chords vibrated, but still no sound emitted. Whispers filled his ears, growing louder and louder.

"Run. Run. Run. Run."

He covered his ears, whimpering as he tried to block them out, only for them to grow louder, and louder.

"Run! _Run! RUN!"_


	3. Undercover

The hard thumping of hooves on the dirt road slowed, then ceased altogether. Asgrid looked down the hill to the small town below. Terrowin slowed his horse to a stop beside him. Asgrid glanced over to him.

"You are sure this is the right town?"

The fox nodded. "Absolutely. If there is any sign of the assassins, they'll be here. I have that information under _very_ good authority."

Asgrid nodded approvingly, slowly beginning to walk down towards the village. Before he entered, he pulled the hood over his head. A traveler's outfit replaced his usual formal robes. Terrowin wore a similar outfit, though he kept a leather chest plate beneath in the event things got...messy.

Nearly seven months had passed since the assassinations took place. The investigations had continued nonstop throughout the entire kingdom. Terrowin had also sent out spies to find out what they could from potential criminal underground sites. All signs of the killers seemed to point here.

The town was located in the far east of the kingdom, nearly two days' ride away. Asgrid had insisted on coming with Terrowin to confront the murderers if they were found, however both he and Terrowin knew that if they were recognized, their target would be gone before they could make a move, so they were going undercover as travellers from far away. For once, being of common species would work in their favor. Asgrid was hopeful that they would not be recognized, but he still didn't want to take any chances.

The ride through the town was slow as they browsed the many streets.

Terrowin gazed around. "Where do we start?"

Asgrid thought for a moment. "If there's anything that I know about criminals, it's that they like to get drunk frequently. We start at the tavern. If we don't find them already there, we might find where they went."

Terrowin nodded in agreement, and the two changed directions, heading for the local tavern. They dismounted, tying their horses to the fence just outside, and walked into the establishment, the door swinging shut behind them. A few occasional faces glanced up, but for the most part they went unnoticed.

Asgrid was surprised to find the tavern half empty, though admittedly he had never been to a public one himself. After exchanging a glance with Terrowin, they walked over to the bar, sitting down in front of it. The bartender wandered over, chuckling when he saw them.

"Well, well. Ain't too often we get strangers comin' in here. Where you two lads from?"

"Capon. Just out to see the world, you know?" Terrowin answered.

The bartender chuckled. "Ah, you must be heading for the coast. Well, I will wish you well on your journey. What can I get you two gentlemen?"

"Pitcher of ale for myself," Asgrid replied.

"Just some water," Terrowin added.

The bartender gave Terrowin a funny look. "Huh, bit tame for a tavern, to order some water."

Terrowin chuckled. "I don't drink. Doesn't treat my belly well."

The bartender nodded with understanding, fetching the drinks. As he places them in front of the pair, he continued:

"There you are. First round's on the house for newcomers. My personal policy."

Asgrid nodded and began to drink. "I appreciate the hospitality."

The bartender grinned. "Name's William. If you two folks are from Capon, then you _must_ have heard about the uh...the passing of the king and queen, yes?"

Asgrid nodded as he set the pitcher down. "Indeed, indeed. A tragedy if you ask me."

William scoffed. "If you ask me, they had it coming."

Asgrid frowned. "Are you insinuating they were murdered?"

William laughed. "How else? They're immortal to age! How else would they have died?"

Terrowin tilted his head. "That's a fair point. Though you don't strike me as being terribly sorrowful about their deaths."

The bartender rolled his eyes. "Oh, no. Now, don't get me wrong, Ausgrid knew how to rule his kingdom well. Hell, we've been in an uphill climb around the kingdom for as long as anybody can remember! There were a few monsters though that weren't too happy with Ausgrid, let me tell you that. Made a pretty convincing argument, too."

Terrowin, seeing Asgrid getting a little more agitated, replied for him. "What were they saying?" He gave Asgrid a kick under the table, snapping the king from his momentary trance just as William responded.

"The human kingdoms. Some monsters aren't happy with just how friendly the monarchy has been with them. They think we need to cut ties with the humans. They might be trying to find our weaknesses before they come and attack us. They said something about travelling to Ebott, but not much else."

Asgrid leaned forward. "Are those monsters around, do you know?"

The bartender shrugged. "I haven't seen 'em around for a few days. Don't know where they went."

Asgrid nodded slightly before standing up. "Right. Well, I appreciate the drink."

William waved. "Oh, it was no problem" But just before they could leave, he suddenly called them back. "Oh! I don't believe I got your name!"

Asgrid froze with Terrowin. They hadn't thought of this coming into the tavern. Beneath the cloak, Terrowin's hand brushed the hilt of his sword, ready to unleash it at a moment's notice.

Asgrid glanced over his shoulder. "Asgore. Name's Asgore."

William shrugged. "Bit of a strange name, Asgore. Well, pleasure to meet you. Safe travels!"

Terrowin's hand left the hilt as he made a quick escape with Asgrid. Once outside, he chuckled. "'Asgore'? I thought we were trying to remain hidden."

Asgrid shrugged. "What can I say? Split second decision."

Terrowin's smile disappeared. "Well, that conversation was certainly...enlightening."

Asgrid nodded grimly. "Indeed, my friend."

The fox glanced over his shoulder back at the tavern as they untied their horses. "You think William was in on it?"

Asgrid shook his head. "No. He's a bartender! Certainly didn't seem like a murderer. Though it sounds like he came in contact with the killers, it also sounds like they aren't here anymore."

Terrowin sighed. "Well, apologies for the wasted time."

The king chuckled. "Oh, this wasn't a waste of time. We may not have the killers, but we have a motive. That's a good start. I'll begin to plan our next move when we return to Ebott."

With that they both saddled up, beginning to ride from the town.

* * *

As Asgore and his companion left the tavern, William turned around. His smile vanished instantly and he walked to the back room, down the stairs. He opened it up, where four other monsters sat, playing cards.

"You said you would cover your tracks, Tobias," William growled.

Tobias glanced up. "What're you on about?"

William pointed to the stairs. "The king just came in. Him and the captain of the Guard, I believe. I had to do some fast talking to convince them you weren't here."

Tobias tilted his head. "Are they gone?"

William bit his lip. "For now."

He shrugged. "Then there's no need to worry!"

William was amazed. "I can't believe you! He's come here once. When he figures it out, he'll come back with every member of the Royal Guard to arrest you! No, we can't keep hiding. He's getting too close."

Tobias grunted. "What has our contact said? Think we can go ahead with the plan?"

William nodded. "He brought me everything we need to know yesterday. Now it just depends if you and your cronies are ready."

The monster stood up, cracking his back. "Everything should be in place."

William's smile returned, utterly lacking of warmth. "Good. Then by this time next week, we will be the ones to topple an empire."

Tobias chuckled, joined by the other four as William proceeded back up the stairs.


	4. Treachery

Terrowin cast a sideways glance at Asgrid as he scratched his chin, sitting on his throne deep in thought. It had been a week since their visit to the small town, and somehow they hadn't been able to come up with any way to proceed further. It was becoming an annoyance to Terrowin, to know that they had had something, but then the trail ran cold. So far, their motive alone hadn't led them anywhere.

Asgrid frowned, sitting up straight just as Terrowin pricked his ears. Shouting could be heard outside of the throne room.

"Captain, go investigate that commotion would you?" Asgrid requested, staring towards the entrance.

Terrowin nodded. "Right away, your highness."

He stepped down from the platform next to Asgrid's throne, walking out of the throne room. He paused as two guardsmen sprinted past, heading for the palace entrance. Puzzled, Terrowin began to follow them, then stopped as a third guardsmen ran over to him, coming from the other direction.

"What's all the fuss about soldier?" Terrowin asked.

The soldier pointed in the direction of the entrance. "Sir! Over a dozen monsters have gathered at the gates, threatening the King and all who support him!"

Terrowin began to run, heading to the gates of the courtyard. Beside the gates he climbed up a ladder to the ramparts on the walls. Through a gap he peered down, seeing an awfully familiar face staring back at him.

"Hey! What's all this about then?!" Terrowin shouted down at him. back.

"The king is going to get us all killed! You, me, everyone! I propose we stop him before we _all_ die from his ignorance!" William shouted back up.

Terrowin scoffed, "Oh, come on, surely you jest! You told me yourself that we've been in a golden age ever since the days of Ausgrid!"

William shook his head. "You're as blind to the truth as everyone else. All golden ages come to an end! And often, they end in catastrophe! We, Sui Juris, are here to make sure that will not happen to us, no matter the cost!"

Terrowin gripped the ramparts as a sudden explosion shook him. His head jerked to the right to see plumes of smoke billowing from behind one of the walls. He pointed at a soldier beside him.

"Run and investigate that, then report back to me."

The soldier saluted and began to sprint across the ramparts to the source.

Terrowin looked back down. "What treachery is this?!"

William snarled. "The end of an era, and the beginning of peace!"

A loud shout sounded from down the wall. Terrowin left William at the front gate, and ran to the smoke. He halted in dismay when he saw defending guardsmen already being overwhelmed by a strong fighting force. The explosion had knocked a chunk of the outer wall down, and invaders were streaming through.

The fox ran to a safe spot, leaping another ladder. As he sprinted back to the palace, he pointed at three other soldiers individually.

"You three! Come with me!"

The four ran back into the palace, towards the throne room. Terrowin burst through the doors to see Asgrid stood, a white glowing blade in his hand. Around him lay two piles of dust, and he was just dusting his shoulder off. Terrowin hadn't realized just how far into the palace grounds the attackers had got already.

"Your majesty, for your safety I need for you to come with me and evacuate."

Asgrid grunted as the blade dissolved. "How bad is it?"

Terrowin was already walking towards one corner of the throne room. "Bad enough. Attackers have blown through the southern wall, the guard is doing what they can to hold them off. Now please, I must insist that you come with me." One of the soldiers helped Terrowin in dragging one of the marble blocks aside, revealing a small tunnel. Asgrid nodded in agreement.

Terrowin crawled through first, jumping down to the floor of the tunnel below. Shortly afterward, Asgrid grunted as he squeezed through the gap, with the other soldiers following one by one. The final soldier dragged the marble block back into place.

Terrowin then wanted to slap his head; he had forgotten to bring a torch. He couldn't believe his stupidity. Asgrid realized the problem, and a small flame lit up in his hand, bright enough that they could see the way. Terrowin drew his sword, as he guided the group through the catacombs. He had already planned a route he wanted to take, taking different turns at every fork.

The tunnels were cramped, barely high enough to stand up straight. The catacombs were a veritable labyrinth, making getting lost an easy task. The tunnels were dusty, at times making it difficult to breathe, as if the tunnels themselves were choking them. But despite the unpleasantness of the experience, it was much better than the alternative.

The muffled sounds of battle were soon left behind them, however even despite this, Terrowin couldn't was anxious. There was still something wrong, he could feel it. He looked at the other soldiers out of the corner of his eye. He noticed immediately that all of them had their hands close to their weapons. He reasoned that perhaps they were just on edge from the fighting, but they had left that behind, and barely anybody knew of these catacombs, so surely the attackers wouldn't.

He brought the company to a halt. "Hold. Something's off."

Asgrid looked around at the enclosed walls. "What do you mean?"

Terrowin turned around, glaring at the soldiers. "I mean, something is _very_ wrong here."

Immediately two of the soldiers drew their blades. Terrowin barely had enough time to step between them and Asgrid. He brought his sword up, the two swords clashing together. He parried the blade down low, unbalancing the soldier. Terrowin grunted, his blade slashing across the guardsmen's chest. The guardsmen howled in pain, stumbling before collapsing as he turned to dust.

He turned, trying to fend off the second. Again the two swords clashed, sparks flying as they locked. The guardsmen brought a knee up, swiftly jabbing Terrowin in the gut. He grunted as he took a step back, getting his breath back. Before his attacker could deal a killing blow, the guardsmen suddenly shouted in pain as a blade stabbed through him. When he turned to dust, Terrowin saw the third guardsmen standing behind him. He wheezed, nodding approvingly.

Asgrid looked stunned, breathing quickly at the close call. "My...My own guards…"

Terrowin nudged Asgrid forward. "We don't have time to think about it. Come on." He then addressed the other soldier who was seathing his blade. "What's your name?"

"Ciaran," the soldier hugged.

Terrowin nodded. "You just saved both my and the king's life today. I expect you will get a promotion when we return."

Ciaran nodded, a thin smile on his face.

The fox retook the lead as he took one last turn, then frowned. They should have been able to see daylight here from the exit. He walked forward, approaching the mount leading to the exit. He was even more confused when he found...wood? He poked at the wood with his sword. Asgrid frowned.

"What's going on Captain?"

Terrowin shook his head. "No idea, sire."

They all grew quiet quickly when footsteps sounded above them. Terrowin slowly backed down from the mound, aiming the tip of the sword up at the wood covering above them. There was some grunting audible, before the three wooden boards covering the exit were lifted up. Terrowin tilted his head when he saw the face of a fiery elemental staring at them. The monster glanced left then back down, motioning to them.

"Come, quickly!"

Terrowin cautiously climbed the mound, grunting as the monster helped him up. While the elemental helped Asgrid and Ciaran up, Terrowin realized they must be in the back of a tavern. He was even more puzzled.

"You have a tavern here?"

The monster nodded. "Oh yes. A family business. I had no idea it opened up to a tunnel though! What's going on?"

Terrowin tucked his blade away while Asgrid replied. "An attack on the palace, and an attempt on my life."

The fiery monster looked shocked. "God above!"

Asgrid nodded. "Indeed. We weren't exactly prepared."

Terrowin nodded at the monster. "Hey. Do you have anything we can use for faster transportation? We need to get out of here before we put you in any danger."

They nodded. "Yes, there are stables out back. Follow me." He led them through a back door, out into the open just a short ways outside the city walls, where there was a small field to stables where four horses waited. He quickly untied three of them from their stalls.

"These three are the fastest. Keep them! I can always replace them."

Terrowin helped Asgrid up before mounting his own, with Ciaran getting on the third. Asgrid raised a hand to stop Terrowin, looking down at the fire elemental.

"What's your name, elemental?"

The fire looked up at him. "Hamish, your majesty."

Asgrid nodded. "Hamish, I owe you a great debt for what you are doing."

Hamish bowed. "The honor is mine your majesty. Will you return?"

The king sighed, "These are dark times. Despite it all, have hope. I will return one day. I am not sure when, but I will. Thank you."

Terrowin twirled his finger, and the trio set out. Asgrid quickly took the lead of the group.

"Where are we going sire?!" Terrowin asked.

Asgrid pointed north. "To Zekar!"

Terrowin was startled by the decision. "Zekar?! Your majesty, are you sure you want to travel that far?!"

Asgrid nodded."Yes! This attack has clearly been planned for some time! The fact that two of my own guards attacked me in the tunnel proves that they had help from the inside! I don't know how far this corruption spreads, but I want to make sure we are fleeing to a place where it cannot reach!"

Terrowin nodded in agreement. "Right! Well, we will avoid the roads then! I would rather take our chances with the elements than risk running into bandits, or more of the Sui Juris, or whatever they called themselves."

Asgrid didn't reply as the trio thundered along, heading north to safety.


	5. Safe Haven

The trio rode nonstop through the night and all through the next day. Only then did they stop to sleep for a meager few hours before continuing on. For nearly a week they rode, not wanting to take the chance of getting jumped in the middle of the night. With time, the climate began to grow slightly colder as they travelled further north. Finally, night fell on their sixth day of travel.

All of them were exhausted. Terrowin rubbed his weary eyes while Ciaran tried his best not to fall off his horse and onto the road. Even Asgrid was struggling to keep his back straight as his stomach growled. Aheadm the walls of a city loomed out of the darkness. By now Asgrid had lost track of where they were, and he prayed it was their destination. A sudden shout brought them to a stop from the city's ramparts.

"Halt! Who goes there?!"

"King Asgrid Dreemurr of Paral, with Captain Terrowin Vonner of the Royal Guard, and Ciaran, one of the guardsmen!" Asgrid called up.

The monster sounded bewildered as he called down. "Your majesty! What in God's name are you doing all the way out here at this hour?!"

Asgrid huffed, "Paral has fallen! I must speak with King Brynmore at once!"

The face disappeared, though he could hear him speaking to somebody else up on the ramparts. Moments later, his face re-appeared. "Ride around to the eastern wall, we'll open the gates for you!"

Asgrid nodded. "Many thanks!" He clicked his tongue and the exhausted horse lumbered on, around the road to the eastern wall. Just as they arrived, the metal gate was cranked up, allowing them access. As soon as they were through, the gate swung back down behind them.

Asgrid dismounted, patting the horse's neck. "Good girl. You did good."

A squire took the reigns, leading the three horses to spare stables where they could rest.

"Your majesty, I'm Captain Reginald Evyngar of the king's guard. King Brynmore will be out momentarily to speak with you," a soldier greeted Asgrid with a small bow of respect.

Asgrid nodded. "Understood, thank you Captain." Sure enough, a few moments later Brynmore appeared, looking concerned.

"King Asgrid. Are you alright?"

Asgrid nodded. "Yes, yes, I'm fine. Barely. If it weren't for Terrowin and Ciaran, I wouldn't be."

Brynmore took a deep breath. "This is distressing news. Come inside, you can tell me about it there. Captain Reginald, why don't you make sure our other two guests are comfortable? I'm sure they must be exhausted after what they've been through."

While Asgrid's two companions walked away with Reginald, Asgrid followed Brynmore inside, relieved to finally be within the humble warmth of a castle again. He followed the griffin to a dining room, sitting across the table from him.

Brynmore sighed. "Right. What's happened?"

Asgrid looked down at the table. "An attack. From within. Insurgents calling themselves Sui Juris. They distracted much of the Royal Guard at the front of the palace with an attack on the front gates and the western wall. While they attacked the outside, two of the attackers managed to sneak in. I managed to dispatch them.

Terrowin tried to evacuate me with three other guardsmen, but we were betrayed. Two of the guardsmen tried to kill me. My own guards, Brynmore. Monsters I _TRUSTED_!"

He slammed a fist down on the table. Brynmore nodded sympathetically before Asgrid continued.

"We just barely escaped with our lives, the horses came from a tavern owner who helped us. We've spent nearly a week on the run, trying to get here."

Brynmore whistled. "Sounds like you've had yourself a busy week." He then changed his tone. "Still, this is disturbing news. How big was this fighting force?"

Asgrid shook his head. "I never had a chance to see. From the sound of it, it wasn't necessarily a massive army. What's concerning to me is the fact that members of the Royal Guard were clearly in on the attack. This was an inside job. They knew the layout of the palace well enough to slip past defences and nearly kill me."

There was silence for some time, before Brynmore queried. "You believe Captain Terrowin is among them?"

Asgrid shook his head. "Who else could it be? He's one of the only monsters that would have memorized every secret of the palace. He's also one of the only monsters that could have allowed the assassins to get into the palace to kill Ausgrid and Eleanora."

Brynmore folded his hands together. "Ah, you think the assassinations of your parents and this attack are connected?"

"I know they are, Brynmore. Because I was too blind to see it, I've lost control of my kingdom. Who knows _what's_ going on over there?!" Asgrid snarled.

The griffin looked down at the table. "Well. This is certainly...a dilemma. But, it is as I said. If you ever need help, I will be here to offer it. It's the least I can do."

Asgrid took a deep breath, calming himself down. "I need somewhere I can stay."

Brynmore motioned around. "You can stay in my castle. I know it's not home, but it's the best I'll be able to give you. Your captain and guardsman can stay too."

Asgrid continued. "I'll also need help retaking my kingdom. Something tells me they won't be going down without a fight. I don't know how much of my army has been seduced by these traitors. I don't know who I can trust. I need to have an army that I _know_ I can put my life in the hands of, without a shadow of doubt."

Brynmore smirked. "I believe I can help you with that. While I can't give you _all_ of my armies, I can at least give you a fair portion of them for temporary use. I'll send a messenger to Amos with the news and see if he can contribute a little as well."

Asgrid closed his eyes, nodding. "Thank you, my friend."

Brynmore chuckled. "What did I tell you? The first year of ruling is the hardest. I promise I'll do everything I can to help you retake Paral."

Asgrid rolled his eyes. "When you said the first year of ruling is the hardest, I don't think you meant I would be fending off an insurrection by some of my own people."

Brynmore shrugged. "A first time for everything, I suppose. Now, why don't you get some rest as well? Just before meeting you, I had a servant prepare a guest room for you; I imagined you would be tired from the journey you must have taken."

Asgrid stood up from the table, and the two kings shook hands. Following this, Asgrid walked with a servant down the hall to the guest room. Upon walking inside, he collapsed on the bed, immediately falling asleep.

* * *

Crickets chirped as the monster stepped out of the room, a hood over his head. The monster glanced up and down the castle hall before quickly walking outside. He gazed up at the stars, noting that some of the constellations seemed to be positioned differently. Being further north must have that effect. He shook his head. Not the time, A pigeon fluttered in over the wall, landing on the monsters arm. He took the note from its talons, reading it quietly to himself.

"The plan was a huge success. A new regime has been ushered in. We have received your past message, and we request your status as soon as you arrive.

-W"

The monster had already written his note. After glancing over it once more, he fastened it in the pigeon's claws once more, letting it take flight.

"Go on little one." He watched as the small bird flew up into the night air, briefly illuminated by the moon before disappearing over the wall into the night.

His head jerked over his shoulder as he heard voices approaching. He quickly backed up, pressing himself against the wall of the castle as two of Zekar's guards walked from the entrance, casually conversing together. He exhaled with relief when the two guards passed on, before gazing back up at the stars.

"Huh." He mumbled to himself. One assortment of lights grabbed his attention. "The Watcher" as it was commonly called. The constellation looked like a pair of eyes, gazing eerily down at the Earth below. It was the only constellation that was visible no matter where in the world you were. Here though, it seemed to appear...closer. Around it, stars lay scattered in a mess of light. He mumbled the story quietly to himself.

"The Watcher looks out for us in the land of the living. In the land of the dead...they guide us through to the world beyond." He knew that travellers used the constellations to help find their way. Usually, it was calming to think something was keeping an eye out for you. Now though, it was quite the opposite. He shivered as the stars seemed to glare deep into his soul. Shaking himself from his momentary glance, he turned around, walking back into the castle.


	6. A Chance Encounter

The door swung open as William walked into the meeting hall. The other four leaders of the nation sat around the table situated in the middle of the room that once was reserved for the king and his advisors. William took his seat, gazing around at the other faces.

At the head of the table, Dominic started the discussion. "Right. Let us get right down to business, yes? Talsend, have you any word on the eastern front?"

Across the table Talsend, an alligator type monster, spoke. "Yes, I have. The final remnants of the army loyal to the old king have been completely scattered. It'll be merely a game of cat and mouse now."

Dominic rapped his fingers together, giving a satisfied nod. "Excellent. Once they are completely vanquished, we will have full control over Paral. What about you, Kenar? Any mention of revolt on the people's part?"

Kenar, a calico feline, shook his head. "Not a hint. I have discovered that many people support us. Those that don't are too scared to act out against us. We have full control over the kingdom's people."

Dominic's smile widened as he then turned to William, who answered before the question was even asked.

"Word from our contact is that an army is massing north of the border; we assume it is made up of Tarusan and Zekarian forces. We just don't know where they'll strike first."

Dominic folded his hands. "Right. Well, we can start moving our own forces up north then to counter wherever they might strike. What about our other contact? Do we have word yet?"

He nodded. "We do. Word is the contact arrived two nights ago. We should be hearing regularly from your spy from here on out. Might take time though. You know the plan."

Dominic nodded. "Thankfully, time is something that we have plenty of. We best prepare for an invasion. Until next time, my fellow friends."

The group stood up, and left the meeting hall. William maintained his thin smile. Everything was going beautifully, just according to plan.

* * *

Asgrid's frown deepened as he continued to pace in his room. Seven agonizing months had come and gone since he had went into exile. With every day he felt more and more anxious. Without any knowledge of what was happening back home, he could only guess what life was like. He hated guessing.

Terrowin watched on, his eyes slowly following Asgrid left, then right, then left again. The fox's calm gaze unnerved the king. Terrowin had never seemed nearly as agitated or nervous as Asgrid was, and that made him wonder. Who else would have known enough about the palace layout enough to get assassins in undetected? Perhaps he was playing the long con. He knew full well that Terrowin would try to hide his feelings. He would have to wait for him to slip up.

"Your majesty, if I may, pacing around in here won't help matters," Terrowin huffed.

Asgrid stopped, turning on his captain. "Well, what do you propose I do?"

Terrowin sighed. "I don't know, just not...that. Why don't you take a walk around the city?"

Asgrid scoffed, "I thought you wished to retake the kingdom with me. How will taking a walk be helpful?"

"It may not be helpful in returning you to your throne, but it might help you clear your head. Then you at least won't be as agitated."

Asgrid shook his head. "Bah, I doubt it would help much," before internally adding, "_But, what else am I going to do?"_

He jerked his head, signalling Terrowin to follow. The fox let a small grin cross his face as he followed Asgrid out of the room. Soon they were leaving the palace walls, stepping into Toburn, Zekar's capital.

In the seven months, Brynmore had been successful in contacting Amos in Tarus. Like Brynmore, he too had agreed to offer his assistance in re-taking Paral. The two had begun to mass a small army for Asgrid to use a short ways north of Paral's border. The question was, where would Asgrid start? There was so much work to be done. He shook his head. Later. He was here to try and clear his mind, not make things worse.

He focused his attention on the buildings, the shops and homes making up the heart of Toburn. In some ways, it looked uncanningly similar to his own home, yet at the same time, it seemed wildly different. It would be easy to get lost in here. Soon the banging of metal on metal made his ear twitch. He looked left, spotting a blacksmith's shop. With curiosity dragging at him, he moved to investigate.

The blacksmith's owner glanced up, smiling with a respectful nod, as did his apprentice, as Asgrid looked around at the variety of swords and other weaponry for sale. It didn't take long for him to spy something of interest.

"Captain! Come look at this!" he called over his shoulder.

As Terrowin wandered over, Asgrid reached for the sword, glancing at the blacksmith. "May I?"

The monster, an ogre, nodded. "Of course, your kingship!"

Asgrid took the blade down, handing it to Terrowin. The fox held it up to his eye level, looking down the broadside of it. He held it in one hand, giving a sharp swing at the air. He looked thoroughly impressed.

"Terribly well balanced!"

The ogre glanced up from his work. "Aye, that's one of my finer works."

Terrowin chuckled, placing the sword back on the nail from which it hung. "Well, you ought to be proud of it."

Asgrid couldn't help but grin. His captain had always been fascinated with handheld weaponry and their fine-tunings. It took quite a bit for Terrowin to be impressed by anything, a compliment to the blacksmith's skills. He would be able to make a good living here. Asgrid nodded as he began to step back, taking one more glance around the room. He turned around as he left, and then yelped in surprise as he bumped into another monster, sending her stumbling.

On instinct he reached out, grabbing her hand to steady her. Once she caught her balance, she looked up at Asgrid, who was immediately entranced.

The monster was a beautiful capri-bovarian, like himself. Well groomed, mature, and quite fit in appearance. It was only after nearly ten seconds had passed when he realized he was still holding her hand awkwardly. He quickly retreated, smiling nervously. "_Why am I nervous?"_

"So sorry, madam, I wasn't looking where I was going."

The monster also giggled, brushing a lock of fur from her eyes. "N-No, my Lord, I am afraid I must apologize. I, too, wasn't paying attention."

He chuckled. "Ah hah, I suppose we are both equally at fault. Uh...I didn't expect to see another monster like myself here."

She shrugged, looking equally as nervous, as well as thoroughly embarrassed. "W-Well, I suppose life here...suited me more. I am terribly sorry to hear about...er...what happened."

Asgrid shook his head. "No need to apologize. What...What is your name?"

Her cheeks flushed a bright pink at the question, and it took her a moment to get her words out. "C...Celia."

Asgrid's smile softened. "Celia? Well, it is a lovely name." He gave the top of her hand a respectful kiss, his other arm moving behind his back.

"Perhaps we will meet again later, madam Celia."

Celia nodded slowly. "Yes...perhaps we will. Farewell, your majesty!"

She turned around, soon disappearing into the crowd. Asgrid was left staring blissfully after her. It took a sharp tap on his shoulder from Terrowin to jerk him from his trance. The fox looked puzzled.

"Your majesty? We should be returning to the palace. We can't spend our entire day in the city."

Asgrid nodded slowly, still fixated on the place Celia had disappeared to. "Yes...yes of course. We best be returning."

The king turned around, walking away with Terrowin. His mind had certainly been cleared, and now the only thing occupying it was one, beautiful face.


	7. Turncoat

The dirt and rocks crunched under Asgrid's feet as he proceeded along the footpath just outside Toburn. Sighing, he looked around at the scenery, at the tall trees looming above him, broken by the occasional meadow. The sun shone through the branches, the individual rays able to be seen piercing through the cover down to the forest floor below.

Another setback in his plan. They needed to find a new location to begin retaking the kingdom. Somehow, the leaders of Sui Juris had discovered of the army massing, and had sent their own soldiers to defend the local towns. It was only thanks to a scout that had gone to investigate that saved the new army from walking into the trap. Asgrid shook his head. There was a turncoat somewhere in his midst, and he had a feeling he knew exactly who it was.

He was ripped from his thoughts as he suddenly heard footsteps enter the pathway in front of him. He looked up, stopping abruptly as he spotted the same monster he had run into just a week prior. She nearly jumped when she saw him.

"Oh! Your majesty!"

Asgrid chuckled. "Good afternoon, Madam Celia."

She blushed. "Oh please, you can just call me Celia."

Asgrid nodded. "If you so insist. What brings you outside the walls of Toburn?"

She gave a happy sigh, gazing around at the vegetation surrounding them. "I like taking walks in nature. Everything is so beautiful...so peaceful...in places where there is constant death, it helps to see all this life blooming around."

The king nodded solemnly. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

Celia tilted her head. "Oh! So you're also just on a casual walk?"

Asgrid nodded as he set off again, Celia walking beside him. "Indeed. Nature walks have always been a favourite pastime of mine. You know, my mother and father often took me on picnics when I was little. I haven't had much time to just get away from things since I became king."

She sighed. "It must have been hard...waking up one morning, discovering everything normal has changed?"

Asgrid shrugged. "It...was difficult, but I had to work through it quickly. There's a lot of work that needs to be done running a kingdom, you know? Some king, huh? I get crowned king, and not even a year later I've been driven into exile by my own subjects," he finished with a growl.

Celia smiled sympathetically. "Well, for what it's worth, I think you would make a great king, given the chance."

The king closed his eyes. "I have big shoes to fill. I know a lot of people see Ausgrid as being one of the best kings they could hope for."

She shrugged. "Well, maybe you should stop trying to fill _his_ shoes and start...making your own."

Asgrid stopped in his tracks. Celia paused as well, looking back at him as he shook his head.

"You have the wisdom of Ausgrid himself…"

She giggled. "I wouldn't say _that,_ your majesty…"

He sighed as he once more became entranced by her, just as he had in their previous meeting.

"We should...meet again. Maybe for lunch, or dinner?"

Celia gave a single nod. "I would be honored, your majesty."

Asgrid shook his head. "No need for the formalities, my dear. You can just call me Asgrid."

Her smile seemed to brighten. "If you insist, Asgrid. Perhaps two days from now? Same place? I know a meadow not far from here."

Ausgrid chuckled. "That sounds like a fine plan. I'll see you then."

She waved goodbye before proceeding on down the path. Asgrid sighed, butterflies making his heart tingle as he too turned around, heading back to Toburn.

* * *

There was one more matter that needed tending to. Something that had been burning at him. When they had first arrived, he had put out an order to the servants to keep an eye on Terrowin. They had reported back that he had begun making late-night trips where he would try not to be seen, and some other strange habits he seemed to have picked up. For a while, Asgrid had been trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but now that Sui Juris seemed to know their every move, he had to confront him.

He knocked sharply on Terrowin's door, opening it when he heard the call from within. "Come in!" The fox was sitting on the edge of his bed, polishing his sword. Upon seeing who it was, he immediately stood up.

"Your majesty. How can I be of service?"

Asgrid replied. "We need to talk. You no doubt are aware that Sui Juris somehow knew of our impending invasion to start retaking Paral. I think I don't need to say it, but we have a turncoat in our midst." Terrowin arched an eyebrow curiously, and Asgrid continued. "I need to ensure I have your undying loyalty."

The fox looked insulted. "Are you implying that I have been feeding information to those bastards?!"

Asgrid folded his hands in front of him. "I am merely covering all avenues. Now, answer the question."

Terrowin's gaze held cold determination. "Your majesty, you know I believe you are the rightful king. I took an oath to defend the monarchy to my last breath. I would die before ever dreaming of breaking that oath."

Asgrid narrowed his eyes. "Good. Then you shouldn't have a problem answering my next question."

Terrowin looked slightly more unsettled now before Asgrid continued. "It has come to my attention you have been constantly sneaking around at night outside of the palace, avoiding the routes of the guards. What have you been doing?"

The fox gritted his teeth, one of his orange ears twitching. "Your majesty, please trust me when I say it is none of your concern, and it has nothing to do with the oncoming war."

Asgrid folded his arms, narrowing his eyes. "You know I need a better answer than that, _captain_. What are you doing?"

"Alright! _Alright!_ I've been going out drinking. Late night drinking. Because you won't stop BREATHING DOWN MY DAMN NECK!" Terrowin shouted.

Asgrid was stunned quiet, taken aback by the sudden outburst.

Terrowin then turned it back on Asgrid. "What about you, your majesty?! You were out on your little 'walk' for quite a lot longer than you said you'd be. Where did _you_ go?!"

Asgrid held up his hands defensively. "Okay, Captain, that is enough. Your point is made." He sighed, "I do apologize, but you have to understand. I do not know who to trust. We both agree that the attack on the palace was an inside job."

Terrowin exhaled, calming himself before responding. "I concur. It had to have been a monster who knew the layout of the palace back, front, and center. So, somebody within the Royal Guard, but it would also have to be somebody who has knowledge your every move in order for Sui Juris to anticipate our strikes, despite us changing them. Meaning, this monster would have to be have remained close. So who…"

It clicked in both their minds at once. "Ciaran." Both of them left Terrowin's room, just in time to see the traitor sprint around the corner. They both gave chase. Ciaran was quick to leave the palace, sprinting down into the town. Here, it was much harder to stay focused on their target in the sea of monsters, but they were just able to keep up. He made another sharp left, straight into a dead end, trapping himself.

Terrowin drew his sword, while Asgrid summoned a saber of his own, a fireball flaming up in his other hand. They rounded the bend, and there stood Ciaran, sword drawn, the tip pointed at them.

"Ciaran, you are under arrest for high treason, and involvement in the assassinations of Ausgrid and Eleanora Dreemurr, and the attempted assasination of myself, Asgrid Dreemurr. Surrender at once!" Asgrid snarled.

Ciaran chuckled. "Oh come now, you know that isn't going to be happening."

Terrowin shook his head. "Son, don't try and fight both of us. You won't last five minutes."

Ciaran nodded. "Oh, I know...I know...but I do know that I'll never tell you a _damn_ thing." He pinned the tip of his sword suddenly against his chest, and fell forward.

Asgrid tried to flash out to stop him, crying out "No! Wait!"

Too late. As the handle of the sword hit the ground, the blade dug into Ciaran's chest, and he slowly slid down on it, quickly turning to dust. There were murmurs from the crowd from onlookers that had witnessed what had just happened. Asgrid glanced to Terrowin, who sheathed his sword. He picked up Ciaran's shaking his head.

"He never deserved this fate. Well, at least we know Sui Juris won't be able to guess our moves for some time. We had best return to plan the first strike."

Asgrid nodded. "I agree."

He began to walk away. Terrowin glanced over his shoulder at the dust. "What about his remains?"

Asgrid snarled. "Leave them. He doesn't deserve a proper ceremony."

Terrowin mumbled "Amen," As he began to follow the king back to the castle.


	8. The First Battle

Terrowin clutched the hilt of his sword, glancing around at the tall trees surrounding the company as they walked along the trail. Beside him, Asgrid took a deep breath as they entered the clearing where ten dragon monsters waited, talking quietly amongst themselves. They stopped, standing to attention when they saw Asgrid and Terrowin appear with nine other soldiers.

"Right, remember the plan. We'll go in and open the gates, then give the signal for the main charge. I trust this is simple enough?" Asgrid asked Terrowin.

He chuckled as Asgrid clasped his shoulder. "It is indeed, your majesty. Happy hunting."

Asgrid smirked as he and the other riders approached the dragons. Excitement sparked in their eyes as the riders climbed onto their assigned dragons. A second soldier climbed on behind the riders on each of the dragons. Asgrid grunted as he climbed onto the back of his own.

"Still feels weird, riding another monster."

The dragon chuckled. "Trust me, your majesty, it is an honor for us."

Asgrid shrugged. "If you insist. We had best be off, then."

The dragon spread its wings, powerfully beating them as he leapt into the air. Asgrid gripped a little tighter on the saddle as they ascended. This was his first flight and he liked the rush of excitement it gave him.

On the horizon was Macaria, a small town in Paral, and Asgrid's first step in reclaiming his kingdom. The army was itching for a fight, and Asgrid was more than happy to give them one. The town was well defended, thanks to Ciaran's warning of their impending invasion, but Asgrid had altered his plan accordingly. They planned to strike at the crack of dawn. The sun was just breaking over the horizon behind them. The glare would make it difficult for their aerial assault to be spotted until it was too late.

Once they were just above the trees, Asgrid leaned forward, flattening himself against the dragon's back as he dove forward, the other nine lining up behind them, mimicking his posture. Asgrid glanced over, for a split second spotting Terrowin through the trees as he marched forward with the rest of the army in attendance. The aerial company kept low over the treeline, the treetops swaying in the breeze kicked up from the beating wings. As they broke out over the small field before the city, the dragons pulled up.

Asgrid glared down at the walls of the city, spotting the Sui Juris soldiers running along the walls. In his right hand, a glowing white saber materialized as his dragon dove down towards the wall. The dragon spat a ball of magic from his mouth, watching as it sailed down, slamming into the wall. Two soldiers were sent flying backwards off it. Asgrid swung his sword, striking at an arrow flying towards him.

"Watch for the arrows! Don't let them catch you out!" Asgrid barked out the order, then signalled for his beast to circle around for another pass.

He leaned forward, shouting again, "Hit them again, then drop me on the wall by the gate!"

The dragon nodded as he turned tightly. "Yes, your majesty!"

Asgrid summoned a fireball in his left hand, letting it combine with the second blast of magic shot from the dragon's mouth. The deadly combination once again struck the wall, clearing a gap in the defenses. Asgrid then brought forth a second saber in his left hand as the dragon hovered low over the wall. He lept off, soldiers from the other dragons quickly joining him on the walls.

His feet struck the stone, and immediately his sabers clashed with one of the Sui Juris soldiers. A pair of iron boots hit the stone behind him, and he found himself fighting back-to-back with one of his other soldiers. With an angry shout, Asgrid pinned his foe's blade with his left saber. The right swung low, slashing across the monster's gut. The monster collapsed, turning to dust. Another blast of magic from the dragons above smashed into the wall a short ways off.

Asgrid sprinted forward, jumping to dodge a swipe at his legs from another soldier. The monster frantically brought his sword up, blocking both of Asgrid's sabers as they swung down towards his head.

The king snarled furiously when he saw the soldier dressed in the uniform of the Royal Guard. "You don't deserve to wear that armour." He shoved the soldier back onto his back. Both sabers came down, digging into the chestplate of the armour. Another monster turned to dust. The other soldiers defended Asgrid as he reached the gate controls, grunting as he opened it. He shouted up at the dragon as it circled. The dragon dove low, landing on his feet by the king.

"Give our friends the signal."

The dragon nodded, firing two bursts of magic high up into the air. A war cry rang from the trees. The defenders' faces turned from confusion to horror as the army charged from the treeline. The first two rows of soldiers on horseback. Terrowin had his blade raised high in the air, pointed at the city gates.

Asgrid jumped down, meeting Terrowin as they approached the gates, Terrowin pulling back on the reigns of his horse.

Asgrid pointed to the buildings. "Clear them out! Building by building! Room by room if you have to! Just remember, the civilians have no part in this. Leave them unharmed!"

Terrowin nodded. "As always, your highness! _LET'S MOVE!_" he shouted at the company as they rode into the town.

Asgrid nodded approvingly as Terrowin dismounted, leading the army further into the streets. It was already evident that Sui Juris had lost the battle. He was even more surprised to see civilians aiding his army in fighting back against the occupiers.

After nearly an hour of fierce fighting, the small castle up on the ridge at the edge of the town came into view. The gates were, as expected, locked. Asgrid put two fingers in his mouth, whistling to one of the dragons in the sky, then pointed at the gate. The dragon dove down, firing off two blasts of magic. They struck the gates, blowing them wide open. Asgrid walked through as soldiers rushed through around him. From there, it was just minutes before the rebel soldiers walked out, throwing their weapons to the ground.

Asgrid smirked triumphantly as the sounds of combat died away. Still, there was one monster missing. Asgrid entered the castle, searching the many halls and chambers for the monster who he knew would be inside. Eventually he reached the main hall. There, at one of the benches, was a pile of dust, a single dagger lying within.

"Good riddance," the king grunted.

Terrowin soon came in behind him, and Asgrid glanced over his shoulder. "What's the word?"

Terrowin took a breath. "The remaining Sui Juris forces have either evacuated or surrendered. Macaria is ours, your majesty."

Asgrid nodded numbly. He turned around, brushing past his captain as he walked out of the castle. As he looked down the hill at the main town, cheers began to erupt from its citizens, as a chant quickly began to rise into the morning air.

"All hail the rightful king!"

Terrowin joined Asgrid as they gazed over the town.

Asgrid shook his head. "It isn't going to be easy. If this is the kind of defense they will mount for a small town, what will things be like back home at Ebott?"

Terrowin sighed. "I do not know, your majesty, but this is a start. We've won the battle, next we'll win the war."

Asgrid smirked. "Indeed, my friend, indeed." He walked into the castle courtyard, climbing onto one of the dragons.

Terrowin tilted his head. "Where are you off to?"

Asgrid chuckled. "I have a date!"

* * *

Dominic scratched his chin, his brow furrowed as he quietly growled to himself. A guardsman ran into the throne room where he sat.

"Sir! Did you hear the news from the North?!"

Dominic nodded. "Macaria has fallen. I am aware."

The guardsman huffed. "What are we going to do? He took the town before noon! If he takes the city in that same time, it won't be long before he's right on top of us!"

Dominic clasped his scaly hands in front of his face, the lizard grunting as it met the guardsman's anxious gaze. "Asgrid won't make a straight line here. He will go and take other areas of the kingdom first. We will use this to our advantage and counterattack. Besides, our…_other_ plan is still in motion, remember."

The guardsman nodded slowly. "If you say so…"

Dominic waved his hand. "Leave me, please, I need to think."

The guardsman made a hasty departure. Dominic leaned forward in Asgrid's throne, tapping his fingers together. He then stood up, walking to a back room lit only by a single candle. He dipped the tip of a feather in a bottle of ink, ripping a parchment of paper out where he began to write.

"Things are advancing faster than anticipated. You must work harder on your end. Asgrid must not be allowed to gain too much ground if we are to stay in control. Remember what we promised you.

-D"


	9. The First Loss

Time marched slowly, as did the civil war. Progress seemed to grind to a crawl. Every battle became harder, the casualties growing higher as well. It was a struggle to keep the civilians outside the conflict, not helped when Sui Juris forces occasionally dressed as civilians to blend in. The complications made it a welcome relief when undefended towns welcomed Asgrid and his army in with open arms. Despite this, nearly four months later, they still hadn't even take back half the kingdom.

"Are you thinking of the war again?" Celia's voice dragged Asgrid back from his thoughts.

Asgrid looked down. "Ah, yes. Forgive me if my thoughts were...elsewhere."

She smiled softly. "I cannot blame you. You must have a lot on your mind. How is the war going, if I may ask?"

Asgrid rested his chin on one of his knees, staring down the small hill where they sat, their dinner laying close by.

"We've finally made it to the eastern seaports. Now we're going to turn around and work our way inland in a line," he spoke.

Celia's smile remained as kind and soft. "Sounds exciting...what city are you going to visit next?"

"Fremling," Asgrid replied. "That battle will be a bit tricky, considering it is backed up against a ravine. We can't encircle it like we've done the others. The dragons are going to get a real workout that day." Asgrid looked over to her, seeing a question in her eyes. "Is there something on your mind too?"

Celia blushed. "Since when did you become so observant?"

Asgrid chuckled. "Since I was kicked out of my own kingdom by my own guards."

She rolled her eyes teasingly, then answered "I was wondering if maybe...you could teach me how to fight? With a sword I mean."

Asgrid was puzzled. "Why on Earth would you want to learn that?"

She shrugged. "You never know when it may come in handy." She folded her arms, grinning mischievously. "Unless you don't think you're up to the challenge?"

The King arched an eyebrow, standing up. "Oh, I see how it is. Well if you want to learn, then I will be happy to teach."

She followed him a little ways from the picnic blanket. Asgrid summoned two sabers, one in his right hand and one in his left. He handed the left to Celia, who swung it around, trying to get used to it.

"It's...lighter than I thought it'd be."

Asgrid smirked. "The things magic can do. Okay, let's start with the basics. Position yourself like me."

Asgrid planted his feet shoulder width apart, one in front of the other. He held the blade firmly out in front of him. Celia followed suit.

"Easy enough…" she commented.

Asgrid stood before her, readying himself. "We shall see. Block low!"

He quickly swung towards her knees. Startled, she flashed the sword out. She managed to block his swing, but in her clumsiness, unbalanced herself, taking a step back.

"High!"

Asgrid gave her no time to steady herself, immediately aiming another strike just above her head. She blocked this, too, but the force pushed her back and she fell to the ground. Asgrid pointed the tip of the saber at her neck.

"And, you are dead. Or at least, captured."

Celia huffed impatiently. "No fair! You didn't give me any time!"

Asgrid held his hand out, helping her up. "A real foe will give you even less. Your blocks were good but when you moved your arms, you lost focus on where you feet were. You lost your balance. The instant you lose your balance is the instant you lose a battle. Let us try again. This time, keep your feet planted firmly."

Celia nodded, readying herself. Asgrid repeated the pattern of twin strikes. This time she managed to hold her own, though Asgrid did notice the smallest wobble. Still, he was impressed she had caught on so quickly. The minutes slowly ticked by as the sun grew lower and lower, the two glowing sabers still clashing together until well after the sun had set. At last, Celia looked like she had had enough.

Asgrid chuckled as the two blades dissolved. "You're a natural! Are you sure you haven't fought with a blade before?"

She grinned sheepishly. "Fast learner, I suppose."

Asgrid laid back down on the ground, gazing up at the stars above them. Celia joined him, yawning. It wasn't long before he heard her breathing slow as she drifted off into the land of dreams. Asgrid tried to stay awake a little bit longer, but soon he too had fallen asleep.

* * *

Another shout of frustration rang from Asgrid as he sliced another arrow in twain. The assault on Fremling had begun just before the crack of dawn. Now it was nearly noon, yet Asgrid still had been unable to break through the Sui Juris defenders. The mass of archers on the wall had prevented Asgrid from being able to land safely on the ramparts to open the gates, or even allow the dragons to blast the gate apart with their magic.

He guided his dragon down low over the battlefield outside the city's gates, landing next to Terrowin.

"Captain! How are we looking down here?!" he called.

Terrowin shook his head, looking equally as frustrated. "No good, sire! We haven't been able to make anything of the defenses on the ground!"

They both looked up as a roar of pain sounded out, one of the dragons turning to dust. Asgrid looked away as its rider fell to his death, his scream of terror cut short.

Asgrid's dragon took flight again, and Asgrid called down, "We'll make one more attempt! If it doesn't work, we'll need to try something else!"

Terrowin nodded and Asgrid turned his dragon right, flying low over the field. Two more dragons formed up joined him as the others kept the rebel defenders occupied. In unison, the three dragons opened their mouths, preparing to blow the gate off its hinges. Too late, Asgrid spotted the volley of arrows raining down on them from above.

"Break off!" Asgrid shouted.

He just barely managed to summon a shield, protecting his head as the arrows rained down. His dragon was not so lucky, as a lucky shot landed in its eye. The dragon broke apart into dust and Asgrid hit the ground hard, rolling in the grass. He clutched his head, groaning as he stood up. One of the last dragons swooped down, and Asgrid grabbed the rider's hand, as he was pulled onto the mount's back.

Immediately they turned to flee. As they passed Terrowin, Asgrid gave him a hand signal to make for the treeline. Terrowin barked orders to the soldiers nearby, and soon the army was in retreat. The king jumped off the dragon's back as soon as it landed, running back into the trees to meet with Terrowin. The fox shook his head as they met in the middle.

"We lost over half of our flying units," Asgrid reported.

Terrowin took a deep breath. "We didn't fare much better. The Sui Juris had dug out little holes in the field we were marching across. Caught us completely by surprise. I'd say we lost around four soldiers for every one of theirs."

Asgrid growled. "They were ready for us. They knew exactly what we'd do. Knew our every move."

Terrowin sighed. "Maybe we've become too predictable."

Asgrid shook his head. "No, it's not that. Even if they knew where we'd attack, they would never know when. They had time to dig out those holes. How could they have known we were coming?"

Terrowin shrugged helplessly. "Another spy in our midst perhaps?"

Asgrid nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe. Round up the men, and interrogate every single one of them. If there is another spy around, I want him _found_."

Terrowin blinked in surprise. "All of them?"

Asgrid barked over his shoulder. "_All of them!_"


	10. Backstabber

Hamish hummed softly to himself, cleaning out the last of his mugs. Business had closed for the night, and he was just finishing up with the cleaning that had to be done. He paused and stopped humming. His gaze flicked to the back door, but all was quiet.

"Could have sworn I heard something…" He mumbled to himself. Shrugging, he went back to cleaning. Almost immediately after, he frowned and set the mug down. Something was definitely outside. He walked to the backdoor, opening it cautiously. He let a ball of fire ignite in his hands, illuminating the field behind him further. His only remaining horse whinnied, stamping its feet.

Hamish frowned, walking out to investigate. He patted the horses neck, scratching it behind its ears.

"Easy girl, easy. What's got you all upset now, hmm?" he muttered.

"Perhaps she is detecting someone who should not be here at this hour," a voice called from behind the stables.

After recovering from his initial start, Hamish began to slowly walk around the back of the barn, picking up the hatchet he used to chop firewood.

"Who's there? What do you want?" he called.

Asgrid stood up, stepping out of the undergrowth. "A friend, and this friend needs your help."

Hamish immediately dropped the hatchet, getting down on one knee. "Your highness! So good to see you again. Then...the rumors are true! You are beginning to make your return!"

Asgrid nodded. "Keep your voice quiet, but yes. It is true. Progress has been slower than I would have liked, but it is what it is."

He motioned for Hamish to stand. The elemental complied.

"How can I be of service?" he asked.

Asgrid glanced around, making sure they were alone before continuing.

"As I grow closer and closer to Ebott, the leadership of Sui Juris becomes more and more knowledgeable of our strategies. I am starting to believe we have a spy in our midst. I need someone who can enter the palace without being noticed, and report back any discussions on this that the leadership has. As well as that, it would be very useful to have information on their defenses. Troop placements, things of that nature. Do you think you would be up to the task?"

Hamish rubbed the back of his head. "I can't say I would be able to infiltrate it. As much as I would like to, I do have a business to run. However, I do have a friend of mine. He works on a farm that delivers food straight into the palace. If anybody would be able to get in unnoticed, it'd be him. I'll give him a visit in the morning and we'll see what we can do."

Asgrid nodded. "Excellent. I will have a member of the royal guard meet you once every week to collect information. I'll instruct them to wait for you here, at this time. Hamish...if you even _think_ that the Sui Juris suspects what is going on, you need to stop immediately. I do not want innocent lives to be sacrificed in this war. There has been too much of that already."

Hamish nodded. "Understood. We will take all necessary precautions. I can assure you, though, we will not fail. We might say we are loyal to Sui Juris, but nobody really is. Most are simply afraid they'll be killed if they speak out."

Asgrid shook his head. "Shameful. That is no way to rule a nation."

Hamish sighed. "That, we can agree on."

The king bowed slightly in respect. "Until we meet again, Hamish."

Hamish returned the bow. "I look forward to seeing you once more on the throne."

Asgrid then turned around, walking back into the undergrowth. Hamish began to walk back to the tavern, glancing over his shoulder as he saw a dragon flying up into the sky, briefly illuminated by the moon high above.

O-o-o-o-o

Celia sighed happily, staring around at nature's beauty, Asgrid by her side. He had taken her to a cliffside clearing overlooking a beautiful valley below. One of the dragons had been willing enough to fly Celia out here to meet with him. She could not deny that it looked absolutely gorgeous. He looked distracted, although to her, this was nothing new.

"Alright you, what's on your mind now?" she asked, nudging him.

The king shook his head with a heavy sigh. "I'm worried."

She giggled. "Well, I figured that much out on my own. What are you worried about?"

Asgrid said nothing for a little while, then suddenly asked her an unexpected question.

"Why _are_ you living in Zekar?"

She tilted her head. "What does this have to do with you being worried?"

Asgrid shook his head. "It doesn't. I'm just curious."

Celia smirked cheekily. "Alright, let's make a deal. I'll tell you why I live in Zekar, and _you_ tell me why you're more worried than usual. Deal?"

Asgrid nodded, a smile starting to appear. "Deal."

Celia leaned back. "Alright. I moved to Zekar just to try and get away from it all. The town I lived in was...pretty outspoken against King Ausgrid. I didn't share their beliefs. So I moved to Zekar. I...kind of could see that something like this might happen, and I wanted no part in it."

Asgrid glanced over. "What will you do when all of this is over? Will you come back? You...you could stay with me..."

Celia's eyes widened. "Is...Is that a proposal?"

Asgrid chuckled. "Perhaps it is…"

Celia looked away, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'll...need to give it some thought…"

The king nodded. "Of course, take your time."

Celia nudged him again. "Hey. Your turn."

Asgrid shook himself. "Ah, right. It is, isn't it. I'm worried about...a plan I have in place. I have set up spies inside Ebott. I'm just worried about them. They are not soldiers. Far from it, in fact. Civilians. People that have less of a chance of being noticed, but do not have as much experience."

Celia's brow furrowed in concern. "Are...you sure that is necessary? This is putting their lives at risk!"

Asgrid huffed. "I know. But...it is very much necessary. If this goes well, we will take back Ebott in half the expected time."

Celia sighed. "Well...I do appreciate you telling me this."

They stood side-by-side in silence.

Asgrid saw motion. He jerked to the left, and the knife missed his back, instead stabbing into his left shoulder. He yelped in pain, jumping to his feet. Celia slowly rose, staring at him.

Asgrid shook his head. "...You?"

She said nothing. A blade materialized in her right hand, and she swung at Asgrid.

He just barely managed to summon his own blade, parrying hers aside. He was caught off guard as she swung again. He parried the blow away. He sidestepped another strike, and another, struggling to keep up with his injury. Blood continued to seep from the wound, staining his white fur red. She was startlingly agile and precise, as if she had been doing this for years.

Again, she swung at his head. He blocked high, then realized he had fallen into another trap. Before he could react, she changed her stance, swinging low. He barely managed to block the strike, but in doing so, unbalanced himself. She rushed forward, giving him a fierce shove. Asgrid stumbled back. One of his feet slipped on the side of the cliff. He tried to reach out and grab onto something, but there was nothing. He fell backwards, plummeting to the trees below.


	11. One Job

Asgrid couldn't speak as he fell to the trees below. His eyes locked with Celia's as she stood at the cliffside above. He yelled out in pain when he crashed into the tree branches, one of them whipping against his wounded shoulder.

For all the pain, the foliage slowed his descent. He somersaulted around as he was shoved back and forth by the branches. It didn't take him long to break free from the trees. He cried out again as he struck the hard ground. He panted as he rolled onto his back, clutching at his wound. The sound of rushing water echoed close by. When he opened his eyes, he saw Celia turn away from the cliff, no doubt on her way down to finish the job.

He groaned, pushing himself up to his feet. He forced his legs to move as he limped to the bank of the nearby river. One of his legs buckled as he reached the rocky shore and he fell forward, rolling into the river. The water was frigid, the cold seeping through his clothes and fur within seconds, shocking him back into awareness. He gasped as the cold water covered his wounds. The running water washed the stained blood away.

He used his one good arm to try and tread water as the river carried him downstream. As he was washed further away, he found himself starting to sink below the surface, his royal robes dragging him down. He grunted as he kicked out with his already exhausted legs, struggling to stay afloat.

The king scanned the riverbank, searching for any sign of help. Soon he spotted Terrowin with three soldiers appear from the trees. He tried to cry out, but the second he did he got a mouthful of water in his mouth. He could barely feel his legs. They had gone numb from the cold. A shout rang from the riverbank, and he heard metal clanging against the rocks and pebbles on the bank, followed by a splash.

Just a few seconds later, he felt strong arms grab hold of him, dragging him to the shore. He groaned as he lay on the bank. He began to tremble from the cold, his teeth chattering.

Terrowin knelt beside him while the soldier put his armor back on. "Just keep still, your majesty, we'll find help."

Blood stained Asgrid's fur again, dripping onto the grey pebbles, turning them a dark red. Terrowin cut a piece of his cape off, balling it up and pressing it against the wound before pulling him further from the river's edge, laying him down on the soft grass.

He shook his head before asking quietly, "Who did this to you? Was it the spy?"

Asgrid grunted, his voice barely more than a hoarse croak. "Y...Yes. Not...a soldier. It...I-It was..._her_."

Terrowin nodded slowly, understanding in his eyes.

Asgrid went on to recount exactly what had happened.

O-o-o-o-o

Celia cursed as she threw a stone into the river, continuing to traverse the river's edge. She had hesitated. Why had she hesitated?! If she had just stabbed him immediately instead of waiting when taking the knife, she could have gotten him right in the back of the head, ending his life in an instant. She still remembered Asgrid looking up at her through the tangle of branches. She was still able to clearly see the betrayal in his eyes.

She shook her head, trying to get rid of the image. She wasn't sure exactly why the vivid picture of his terror refused to leave her mind. She had to admit, Asgrid's proposal had caught her off guard. She couldn't believe she had actually considered it for a split second.

"_Focus, Celia, you have a job to do. So do it, and do it right!"_ she spat at herself. She knew Asgrid couldn't have gotten far. He would have been too weak to swim all the way to the camp downstream. He would have to make it back to the shore eventually, or else drown in the river. Though if he did drown, she would have a difficult time proving his death. This was one of the setbacks of how monsters dusted when they died. She had to hope that Asgrid would wash up on the riverbank, where she could finish the deed.

Voices grew her attention up the bank. She quickly picked up her pace, then stopped short. Asgrid had washed up on the riverbank alright, and three members of the army were stationed around him, Terrowin included.

She shook her head. "_Impossible! How did they get here so fast?! How did they know?!"_ She turned to flee.

"Hey!" Terrowin's voice shouted after her, and soon she heard metal boots pursuing her through the trees. She smirked. In the thick woods, she would win out in a foot chase. One of the perks of not wearing a soldier's armor. Still, she was brought to a swift halt as a dragon crashed through the branches, landing in front of her. The dragon drew his sword, aiming it at her chest. A second tip of a blade pressed against her back. growled.

"What's your hurry, assassin?" the dragon growled.

Slowly, she raised her hands. Her ears flattened as the soldier grabbed her arms, pinning them behind her back. The two escorted her back to the group, Terrowin nodding at both of them in turn.

"Good work," the captain said.

The dragon looked past him at Asgrid, looking weary. "Is he going to be alright?"

Terrowin nodded. "It appears the stab missed anything vital. We'll get him back to the camp. Monsters there will heal him up. As for you…" Terrowin growled at Celia. "We'll give you a little 'escort' back to Toburn. You'll answer for your crimes there."

She looked down at the ground as the two began to pull her away. She glanced to Asgrid as he sat on the ground, the king meeting her gaze once more. There was still the betrayal, but underneath she saw fear...sadness...confusion...all mixed into one. She jerked her eyes back in front of her as she was carried back into the camp.

O-o-o-o-o

Asgrid rubbed his shoulder, sitting up as the green magic dissipated from the nurse's hands.

"Feeling better yet, your majesty?"

Asgrid grunted. "Still a touch sore."

The water elemental seemed to grin softly. "I am afraid there is nothing I can do about that. What is important is that your wounds have healed. Still, I want you to rest for the remainder of today, and maybe tomorrow too. The pain should go away on its own within a few hours."

Asgrid nodded. "Very well, thank you.'

The nurse bowed. "My pleasure, your majesty." She turned around, leaving the medical tent. Terrowin shook his head as he stared at Asgrid.

"Not quite what you were bargaining for when you first met, hmm?"

Asgrid huffed. "Understatement, Captain...I really know how to pick them, huh?"

Terrowin chuckled, then pretended to clear his throat. "Yes, well. She is a rather...unique case I would say. And...I do believe you owe myself, and the rest of the men, an apology."

Asgrid was puzzled. "What for?"

The fox's ears flattened in irritation. "Your uncalled-for accusations. Do you not remember? You accused every member of this army to be a spy working for Sui Juris. You even accused me! More than once. You had servants _spy_ on me in Toburn. Do you not remember? All the while the _real_ spy was playing you like a fiddle! These men have all put their heads on the line for you, soldiers that have never met you before in their life, much less been apart of Paral's army. Yet still they came to help. Then you turn around and stab them in the back by making them out to be traitors?! How do you think they must feel now?!"

Asgrid sighed, closing his eyes as he shook his head. "This is a fair point, Captain. I suppose looking back on it, it all was a little too perfect."

Terrowin took a deep breath, calming himself down. "I will not deny that I had my doubts about Celia from the moment you met. It had seemed too good to be true to me."

Asgrid raised a brow. "Well, why did you not say anything?"

Terrowin shrugged. "You looked happy. For the first time in over a year you looked genuinely happy again. I didn't want to try and take that away from you. Besides, with the spying going on with _me_…" Asgrid groaned. "It wouldn't have made me look too good, now would it?"

The king stood up, nodding slowly. "Well, I suppose I do have to thank you for considering it. I will make my apology to the army later on. For now though, I want to visit our lovely assassin in Toburn. I still have unanswered questions."

Terrowin was skeptical. "Are you sure that's a wise maneuver, your majesty? She _just_ tried to kill you. I would not advise getting close to her any time soon. It certainly wouldn't be the first mistake you've made with her. Not to mention, the nurse _just_ told you to rest!"

Asgrid walked out of the tent, calling over his shoulder. "I understand, Captain, but I will not be able to rest until I have answers. What harm can she do when she is locked away? Besides, if we are to part ways, I at least want to be able to see her one last time, and say goodbye properly."

Terrowin shook his head helplessly, watching as Asgrid made his way to the dragons.


	12. Espionage

The rock bounced off of the wall, clattering to a stop at her feet. She grunted as she leaned forward, picking the rock back up. She hucked it angrily at the wall again, repeating the motion.

She heard footsteps approaching her cell. She didn't even need to look to know who it was.

"What do you want?"

"Just to talk," Asgrid replied.

"What is there to talk about?"

Asgrid shook his head. "Where do I start?"

He grunted as he sat down across from the cell bars.

"How's the arm?"

Asgrid rolled his shoulder, freshly healed. "Just fine, thank you," he said sarcastically. "Why did you do it? You don't strike me as someone particularly close to the Sui Juris leadership. So, what happened?"

Celia looked away. "I can't. They'd probably kill me if I told you anything."

The king shook his head. "They can't reach you here. You're perfectly safe to tell me everything."

She was quiet for some time. "Life...wasn't particularly easy for me growing up. The town I grew up in was heavily against the king. Ausgrid, I mean. The people there thought he was being a bit too chummy with humans. They feared...well, still do, that the humans would eventually try and destroy us, so they decided to take action before it was too late."

Asgrid grunted. "By murdering him and Eleanora in their sleep."

Celia nodded. "I know that we weren't the only ones to think that. The dissent spread to different regions around the kingdom, even within the Royal Guard. It was a guardsman that helped them get inside for the assasination. When you escaped during the battle, they knew it would be a while before you came back. You would need to figure out a plan of attack, so they came back home and recruited me. My mission was to infiltrate your personal life, and kill you when the opportunity presented itself. They gave me a cover story in case you asked why I was in Toburn. They told me if I succeeded, I would get money...power...more than I had ever had in my entire life put together. I couldn't pass up the opportunity."

Asgrid huffed. "Well, you nearly succeeded."

Celia grunted. "Yeah. Nearly. They don't take 'nearly' though. They only take success."

Asgrid tilted his head. "Something about that attack struck me as odd. I had my guard completely down. I was totally at your mercy. You could have slashed my throat or stabbed my head and that would have been it. But you didn't. You started to move, but then I saw the smallest of pauses." He blinked once. "You hesitated. Why?"

Celia looked away, not wanting to respond.

Asgrid chuckled, "Look away all you like. You'll have plenty of time to think about your answer. I certainly don't have too much else on my schedule."

She shrugged, still refusing to look at him. "I don't know. There was just...something. I can't explain it."

Asgrid sighed. "I think you do. You just don't want to admit it. You don't have to be like them. You could be better than them. Come on, I don't believe that you think exactly as they do. I believe you only say that because they could have gotten you out of a rough spot in your life. You took the opportunity. Who can blame you?"

She glanced back to him to see a thin smile on his face.

"Am I wrong?"

She looked down at the floor. "Not entirely…" she admitted, quietly.

He nodded slowly. "I see. Well. My offer from before?" He grunted as he rose to his feet. "It still stands."

Celia's gaze shot up in surprise as Asgrid started to walk away.

"Wait!"

Asgrid turned around. "Yes?"

She shook her head in amazement. "After what I did...why are you still being so generous?"

He grinned. "Because I can still see plenty of good in you, Celia." He then turned away, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Dominic folded his arms, shaking his head. "I thought you told me your assassin was up to the task."

William growled, just as frustrated as the two walked through the halls. "She promised me she would get it done, no problem."

Dominic scoffed. "Well, you were clearly wrong. Something must have happened. She should have checked in ages ago."

William grunted. "We'll have to assume she was found out and captured. What's the status on the siege at Fremling?"

Dominic shook his head. "Not looking good. It won't take Asgrid long to find a way inside."

"We had best retaliate with force then, seeing as our plan to kill him from inside was unsuccessful."

"I agree. Mobilize the 2nd army, we'll come around from behind and box him in. He'll have no choice but to surrender."

William suddenly stepped to the side, nearly running into a servant carrying a tray in his hand.

"Watch where you're going," he snarled.

The servant nodded. "Yes sir, sorry sir." The two resumed their discussion while the servant continued down the hall, glancing again over his shoulder. He ducked down the stairwell, heading down to the lower levels and to the kitchen. He gracefully sidestepped around the many workers in the hot rooms, making for the storage. Once there, he spied a farmer unloading fresh meat into the castle's coolers. The servant murmured quietly into the farmer's ear, receiving a half-nod before the servant returned to his duties.

The farmer in turn returned to his cart, clicking his tongue as he flicked the reins, the horses setting off. The now-empty cart, except for him, thumped along the cobblestone roads. He made a beeline for the nearest exit, though he was trying to avoid the main gates. Once home free, he dismounted, sending the horses back home.

The farmer himself backtracked to a tavern just outside of the walls, slowing his pace as he walked inside. The bartender glanced up, a grim look on his face when he saw the concern the farmer carried. The farmer sat at the bar, knocking twice on the counter. The bartender nodded, leaning forward. His frown deepened when he heard the news.

"I'll tell them at once." Hamish said as the farmer stood up. Hamish took a deep breath, waiting as the sun slowly crossed through the sky. Every single minute counted. At last the final patron left. He locked the front door, then ran out the back to the stables where he waited anxiously.

Finally, the bushes rustled and Terrowin stepped out, nodding at Hamish.

"Greetings. What word have you for us tonight?"

The bartender glanced left, then right, before speaking. "You must break off your siege on Fremling. I have received word from our ears in the castle that they are aware of an assassin's capture. They intend to retaliate by sending an army around behind you. They set out earlier today. It is big, though, so you should be able to return in time to warn the king."

Terrowin growled. "Curses. We were so close...thank you for the warning, Hamish. I will leave at once to deliver the news. Many thanks."

Hamish nodded, but as Terrowin was walking into the bushes, Hamish called out. "How long until he returns?"

Terrowin's thin smile showed as he glanced over his shoulder. "Soon, my friend, soon."

Hamish nodded, then walked back into the tavern, sitting down with a heavy sigh at the bar.


	13. The Double Agent

_**AUTHORS NOTE**_

**I've noticed that there have been a few newer people reading in on these stories, so this message is more for the newer people. Internal Storms is a part of a much larger AU called Undertale: Chronicle. This is a massive AU spanning over 2,000 years worth of history, and this story is only one of many already written. If you are new and want to explore the AU more, here are the stories currently written or in progress in chronological order.**

**Catalyst**

**Internal Storms [WIP]**

**Sole Sufferer**

**Soulless [WIP]**

**Nothing Lost, No One Blamed**

**Armistice**

**Resurfacing [WIP]**

**There are still more stories coming even after these are done. If you want to know moer about the AU, I do have an official wiki set up for this AU on Fandom, the Undertale: Chronicle wiki. Sadly FF won't allow me to put in links, but a simply google search should give you what you need! On that note, I hope you continue to enjoy this AU!**

**-Nolan**

* * *

Asgrid stepped up to the edge of the ridge, gazing down at where their encampment had lain just hours ago. Several small lights flickered from the trees below, signalling torches from the Sui Juris armies sent to kill them. Terrowin had returned just in time to deliver the warning from Hamish.

Asgrid had set out at once with his army, insisting that the soldiers only bring what they could carry on their backs. The hasty departure had saved their lives. He shook his head as he looked further beyond to Fremling.

"So close...just another day or so and we would have taken Fremling…"

Terrowin stood beside him, and huffed. "I, too, am frustrated, sire. But the survival of yourself and the army takes priority. There will be other cities to take."

Asgrid shook his head. "No, there won't. Now that we've retreated, it won't take long before they push us back further. They know we're vulnerable. We won't be able to have time to set up another siege. We'll need a new plan. Begin moving the army towards Ebott."

Asgrid turned away, Terrowin following close behind. "We don't have the strength for an all-out assault on Ebott, Sire, it would be a massacre!"

"I am aware of this, Captain. My intentions are not to attack the city head-on; but if we can strike at their leadership...we can cripple them."

Terrowin paused, considering the plan. "You...mean sneaking inside to capture one of their leaders!"

"Precisely. You and I both know the catacombs like the backs of our hands. I believe we will have an easy time getting inside."

"I like the idea, your majesty, but that still leaves the problem with the armies chasing after us. We won't be able to negotiate anything before they're on top of us again."

Asgrid scratched his chin. "Very true. We would need to find a way to steer them away from us."

"I...could send a few companies out to draw them away. But...it would be a death sentence for those those volunteers."

The king shook his head, a thin smile on his face. "No need for that, Captain...I believe I know exactly what to do. I need to run a little errand, I trust you can oversee movements on your own?"

The fox rolled his eyes, starting to walk back to the main group. "Of course, your majesty. We will be on the move when you return."

Asgrid chuckled, before walking to the dragons. His destination, Toburn.

* * *

His footsteps carried him down below to the dungeons beneath Toburn's castle. He paused in front of one of the cells, turning to face Celia inside. She already knew who it was, but she didn't bother to acknowledge his presence.

"Good morning, Celia."

She only grunted in response.

Asgrid looked down at the floor. "Listen to me, please. I understand why you did what you did-"

"No you don't," she cut him off. "You couldn't possibly understand. You get to live all high and mighty for your entire life, hardly a care in the world! You couldn't even begin to understand how hard it is for us poorer people! If you did, you would have encouraged me to do what I did."

Asgrid took a deep breath. "Let me rephrase. I know why you did what you did. I don't understand, but I know why. But from you telling me that, I can safely say that...you don't want to be this way. You are doing what you have to do to elevate yourself in life. I can not blame you for that. But I can see that there is still plenty good in you. Don't you want to use that for something?"

She was silent.

"Celia...we need help. Sui Juris believes, correctly, that you have been captured. So they are now hunting us with their own armies, using brute force. If you have any feelings at all for me...and I know you do...you would help us. If you do what I ask, I can pardon you of all crimes taken against me, as well as give you everything Sui Juris promised you...and more."

Celia slowly looked up, a flicker of emotion showing for just a second in her eyes. But it was enough for Asgrid to know that he had persuaded her.

"Why are you doing this? I used you. Deliberately got close to you, and then tried to kill you. Why are you so willing to help me? Let alone trust me…"

Asgrid's smile softened. "Because I believe those who deserve second chances should receive them."

Celia closed her eyes briefly, then opened them as she stood up. "Alright. I'll help you...your highness."

Asgrid chuckled, taking out a key he had collected from the guards up above, unlocking her cell. "Then come. We have no time to waste."

Celia glanced at the walls again before quickly following him down the hall. "What do I need to do if I may ask?"

Asgrid glanced over his shoulder. "You're going to write a letter."

* * *

"It's me.

I must sincerely apologize for the sudden hiatus in updates for the mission.

I attempted to kill Asgrid as you ordered. I managed to lure him out somewhere private, before pushing him off of a cliff. He survived the fall, however, by landing in some stupid tree. I managed to play it off as an accident but I've had to lay low to avoid suspicion. This has meant I haven't been able to risk sending more letters.

On the subject of the war, you will be happy to know that Asgrid has pulled back from Fremling. However, sending in your armies has made it more difficult for me to maintain a proper relationship with him, he is dedicating more time to the war than he is to me. He has ordered his forces to retreat towards the eastern coast. If you are going to do my job for me, I suggest sending your armies after him. Otherwise, just hang tight and let me do my job.

-C"

William finished reading the letter, looking up to Dominic.

"What do you think?"

Dominic shook his head. "I don't like it. It seems too...her."

"How can someone sound too much like themself? That doesn't make sense."

"I know, I know. What I mean is, something's off here. You can't tell me that doesn't seem the least bit suspicious to you?"

William set the letter aside. "I will admit, hearing back from her after so long does sound fishy. Though...her story does make sense. So, what are we going to do about this?"

His companion shook his head. "I'm not sure. I'm more tempted to bring the army back home. It might be a trick to try and make us lower our guard."

"I suppose this makes sense. But...what if it's the truth? If Asgrid is retreating, we should strike fast to keep him unbalanced, and perhaps kill him once and for all. He might be regrouping with a larger force elsewhere. That would prove devastating."

Dominic nodded. "Also true...alright, give out the order. We're moving the army towards the east to corner Asgrid."

William stood up. "Very well." He left the room.

Dominic stayed behind, tapping his fingers against the table. He flipped the note over and started writing on the other side of it.

"C

I'm sending the army after Asgrid to the east. They'll at least keep him off-balance. I want you to strike at the earliest possible opportunity. We need to finish this once, and for all.

-D"


	14. Plan B

Asgrid nodded to Hamish, taking a sip of ale from his mug, leaning against the back room of the tavern. The city of Ebott was slowly going to sleep. Momentarily, curfew would take effect. Hamish finished serving Terrowin, Celia, and other soldier in the room.

He stepped back, folding his arms. "Anything else I can help you gentlemen with?"

Asgrid tilted his head, grunting as he stood up straight. "No, you have done fine work for us. Though...one thing still puzzles me. What is an elemental doing so far out here? I honestly believe you are one of the only of your kind here in Paral!"

Hamish, sighed, lowering his voice, "It is a long story, your highness. But, in short, my family had...financial difficulties back home. We borrowed money from questionable sources to help us out, but we have since been unable to settle our debts.

"They came to our house. Threatened me...me family...they told us they would take away everything dear to us. So, I fled. I came here, figured they wouldn't try anything stupid in foreign territory. So far, that has been the case."

Asgrid closed his eyes. "Nobody should have to leave their home because they are being threatened. I do not want you to stay in this kingdom because you have nowhere else to go, I want you to be here because you want to. If it will put your mind at ease, when all of this is over...I personally will settle your debts. I can even arrange for your safe travel home, if you desire."

Hamish's eyes flickered with surprise. "You'd do that for me? Forgive me your majesty but, why?"

Asgrid smiled. "Because you have risked your life, and the lives of your family to help me as my spy. You have done everything we need of you. As of now, you will not need to spy any further. A plan is in motion, and we will be able to take care of things on our own. After we're through, do your best to seal this exit of the tunnels in order to get rid of evidence of your assistance. We'll be leaving a different way."

"It has been an honor, your majesty."

They all looked to the door as the curfew bells began to ring across the city.

"That's our cue," Celia nodded.

Terrowin picked up the length of rope beside him, slinging it over his shoulder as he descended through the hole in the floorboards, into the catacombs running beneath the city. The other soldier jumped down next, followed by Celia, and then Asgrid. Hamish picked up the floorboards, giving a hushed call down to them:

"Good luck. Long live the king!"

He then replaced the floorboards, and they could hear him removing the evidence of their presence. Asgrid let embers kindle in his hand, creating a light so they could see the way. Terrowin drew his sword, as did the other soldier beside him. Celia and Asgrid both summoned their own sabers.

With Asgrid's flame keeping the tunnel lit, Terrowin guided the small group through the catacombs running beneath the city. Many days had passed since Celia had decided to change sides. The Sui Juris leadership had taken the bait, and had their forces chasing an invisible army towards the east coast. Everything had aligned perfectly. For this operation, Terrowin had tried to insist that Asgrid stay behind for his own safety, but there was just something about the thought of sneaking around that excited the king. It had become near impossible to dissuade him from joining them.

Nearly half an hour later they reached the exit. Asgrid extinguished the flame and the second soldier joined Terrowin at the exit, both of them grunting as they pushed the large marble block of the throne room wall out and aside. Terrowin nodded at Asgrid, who knelt down, crawling out through the gap. Celia joined them after.

From here, they only communicated through hand motions. It was crucial that they remain hidden if they had any hope of this plan succeeding. They left the marble block where it was, knowing they couldn't waste time replacing it. They had to hope it would go unnoticed.

The halls had been darkened, with the torches extinguished for the night. Paintings still loomed on the walls, carrying a much more ominous feel. Through windows and gaps in the wall moonlight shown, creating shadowy patterns on the floor.

Footsteps echoed up ahead of them. They ducked into a side room, waiting for whoever it was to pass. Terrowin glanced out, and couldn't believe their luck. As their target grew closer, he looked back to Asgrid, leaning over.

"It would appear, he has come to us. We'll get him immediately, and then return," the captain whispered.

Asgrid nodded with approval.

Just as William passed by their door, Terrowin quickly stepped out, grabbing the monster by the arm. As he yanked him back, he pressed the blade of his sword up against his neck, dragging him back into the room. The blade convinced the canine to remain silent, while the other soldier took the rope from Terrowin, binding William's arms firmly behind his back. The fox nodded.

"Let's go, quickly, before somebody notices," he hissed.

William's eyes widened in shock when he saw Celia among his sudden captors, though he didn't dare to speak. With the blade constantly against his throat, the group quickly retraced their steps back to the throne room. As Terrowin had his hands full, Asgrid poked his head into the throne room, sighing with relief when he saw that their entry had gone unnoticed. This time, it was the king who climbed back down into the catacombs first. The second soldier with them climbed down, helping Terrowin push William through. Celia jumped down after them, pulling the block back into place behind her.

"You filthy traitor!" William spat at Celia.

She glared at him, saying nothing in response. Asgrid let the flame rekindle, and Terrowin took the lead as they headed back into the tunnel. This time though, instead of taking a right turn at the fork, he took a left.

"You are a fool to think your little alliance with this useless bag for a king will last," William continued.

Celia held her steely glare. "I made my choice, William. You've made yours."

William snarled, turning forwards. The escort continued to take different turns, and soon even Asgrid was starting to get confused as to where they were. Still, Terrowin pressed on. Like many other exits, this one also appeared to be a dead end, but he pushed against the roof of the tunnel, and it shifted a side, revealing a trap door above their heads. He pushed it open, allowing fresh, cool air into the dusty tunnel.

Asgrid grunted as he climbed out, helping Terrowin to pull William up with them. Just as Celia climbed out though, a shocked voice sounded almost right behind them.

"Your highness!"

Asgrid immediately summoned two glowing sabers, spinning around to find himself face-to-face with a monster dressed in the uniform of the royal guard. The monster took a step back, raising his hands as Terrowin joined him.

"Wait, sir! I am not one of them!" He knelt down in front of the king. "I am among the soldiers that tried to defend against Sui Juris when the palace fell. Despite what you might believe, there are many members of the royal army, and the royal guard, that are still loyal to the throne."

Asgrid looked around, his sabers vanishing as more guardsmen appeared from the bushes around them in the foliage. A smile spread across his face as he looked back down to the guardsman.

"You may stand."

The guardsman stood up, and Asgrid looked around at all of them.

"I did not believe there were any loyal members left," he remarked.

"While we have not been strong enough to engage in open warfare, we have been doing what we could to wreak havoc on supply lines around the kingdom. In fact, it was us that cut off emergency reserves heading to Fremling before you broke off your siege. We have been doing what we can. Now, we are here to once more join you and your army. You, and you alone, deserve to be on that throne. We have all sworn to lay down our lives if it means you will return there."

Terrowin sheathed his sword, while Asgrid began to walk to the trees, the others starting to follow.

"Then come, comrades," he invited, "There is much planning we need to do if we are to retake the throne. I am glad you are here. We are going to need all the help we can get."

* * *

"Hello, my friend.

How strange it is that we now talk, considering you, more than once, have tried to have me executed. I will admit, you have proven to be a difficult adversary. But, your time sitting on my throne is about to come to an end.

William is now in our custody. I know the two of you are good partners. You need him to remain in power. You know as well as I this cannot happen with you both separated.

So, if you have the nerve to come and talk face-to-face, then meet me at the grand hall in Capon in exactly three days, at noon. There, we can...negotiate. I look forward to meeting you in person.

-His Majesty, Asgrid Dreemurr."

Dominic balled up the letter, growling furiously as he threw it across the room. He put his head in one of his hands, trying to think. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Asgrid was right. He relied on William's knowledge of the people to keep them in line. Without him, Sui Juris was subject to a revolt from the people, one that would no doubt be backed by Asgrid's armies.

But, at the same time, he couldn't recall his own armies. He now knew that it was a deception that Asgrid or his armies were heading to the coast. He had been betrayed. Celia had taken him for a fool, and he had fallen right into her web.

Then, an idea began to formulate. The special units...the older guardsmen...they were still here in the city, defending the Sui Juris leadership. They would no doubt love to get a chance to kill their former king where he stood. So, he would turn things around, and set the trap. He began to chuckle as he tapped his fingers together. He would have one more chance to kill the king. This time...he would make sure it was done properly.


	15. Reclamation

The sun was high in the sky when Dominic walked into the Capon meeting hall. He glanced around as he entered through the backdoor, not liking how quiet the town had been. Barely anybody had been out in the streets, something he found greatly suspicious.

A growl rumbled when he entered the room, spying Asgrid, Terrowin, and Celia across the room. Just in front of them stood William, his arms still bound behind his back.

Dominic shook his head as he stared at his partner. "You fool."

"You are equally a fool for agreeing to this," William snapped back.

Asgrid gave him a round jab to the back with his elbow. "Shut it. So, we meet face-to-face, Dominic. I must say, you're a bit shorter than I thought you'd be."

Dominic wanted to wipe the smug look off of Asgrid's face, but he kept himself composed. "Perhaps. But I did overthrow you, if memory serves me right."

"Yes, well, it helps when you recruit members of my personal guard, however your reign on my throne will end today. Dominic, you are under arrest for your involvement in the murders of his and her majesties, Ausgrid and Eleanora Dreemurr. You are also under arrest for high treason, conspiracy against the king, and the attempted murder of Asgrid Dreemurr. Surrender immediately, and maybe I will have mercy on you."

Dominic slowly drew his sword, twirling it in front of him. "Oh, Asgrid, you and I both know full well that isn't going to happen." He put two fingers in his mouth, letting out a piercing whistle. Several Sui Juris soldiers descended from the rafters high above them, having been hidden away by the large roof supports. More soldiers filed through the back doors, standing behind Dominic. He arched a brow at the three.

Asgrid narrowed his eyes, quickly summoning a saber in his hands. He spun it around, before slashing it across William's back. William fell forward and Asgrid drove it through his back, watching as the former leader turned to dust at his feet. Dominic snarled, and the remaining trio began to back away, stepping out of the door. Dominic led the charge forward, sprinting after them.

He froze when he saw what waited for them outside. Now Asgrid stood with a cocky grin, behind him a vast portion of his army, including the still loyal members of the Royal Guard. Dominic saw their two armies faced off, growing more concerned, but he barely hesitated. He jabbed his blade towards Asgrid. The Sui Juris army charged forward, and were met with a fierce defense.

The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out around the town square. Asgrid was quick to dispatch the first soldier that charged him with a swift stab through the chest. He bumped up behind somebody, glancing over his shoulder to Celia behind him, meeting her eyes. He turned back to the front, blocking a strike up high, locking blades. He heard Celia shout as she swiped at her own attacker.

Asgrid grit his teeth as his saber was pushed down closer to his head, the assailant trying to force him down. Asgrid lashed out, kicking his opponent's kneecap. The soldier yelped in pain, stumbling as Asgrid shoved his blade up and back, then slashed down across his side. His gaze darted to the right, spotting Terrowin clashing blades with Dominic.

He nudged Celia's back."You going to be alright here on your own?"

"Do you really need to ask?!"

The king chuckled, shaking his head before making his way amongst the fray over to the two duelists. Dominic began to back away again as he saw Asgrid joining Terrowin.

"For a king that claims to be strong, I never expected you to need the aid of another to defeat an ordinary monster," he sneered.

"Is that a challenge?" Asgrid growled.

Dominic simply cracked his neck at the response.

Asgrid jerked his head to Terrowin. "Make sure we win this fight, Captain, I'll deal with this _filth_ myself."

Terrowin gave an uncertain nod before sprinting away to engage elsewhere in the battle. Asgrid readied himself, waiting for Dominic to strike first. He was more than happy to oblige, swinging at Asgrid's head.

Their blades met as Asgrid raised his hand up, countering with an attempt to slash his legs. Dominic parried the blow away, the two beginning to strike relentlessly at each other. It took mere seconds for Asgrid to gain the upper hand. He began driving Dominic back into the meeting hall, relishing in Dominic's expression growing more and more desperate with every blow.

He swung down hard, the final strike sending Dominic stumbling backwards.

Asgrid tilted his head, outstretching his arms. "Is this enough a challenge for you?!"

Dominic smirked, seeing the king dropping his guard as he rebalanced himself. "Plenty." He stalked back to the king, jumping up on the table and leaping back down to Asgrid.

The king blinked in surprise at the sudden leap. He just barely managed to deflect the blow, their swords locking.

"You are not going to leave here alive," Dominic snarled. "You will die. As your father did, and your mother. I alone will rule this kingdom, and I will make sure to usher in a new golden age."

Asgrid allowed one of his hands to slip off his saber. A second formed in his now free hand. He stabbed it up, straight through Dominic's chest. He gasped, his eyes shooting wide in shock and pain as the sword clattered to the floor.

Asgrid leaned up to him, glaring. "Maybe in your world. But not this one." He withdrew the saber, letting it dissolve as Dominic fell forward. He landed head-first on the ground, a firm snap sounding from his neck. He turned to dust seconds later. The sounds of battle were already dying away from outside. He glanced up as Celia walked into the room.

"It's over. We have won." She looked down at the dust, knowing full well whose it was. "I still do not understand why you chose to forgive me after what I did...after everything I did to help him achieve victory…"

Asgrid smiled, walking towards the door. "It is as I said. I believe in second chances, if you give me the chance to offer it."

With that, he left the meeting hall, to address the new prisoners outside.

* * *

Two months came and went. Asgrid rode into Ebott the day following the battle in Capon to thunderous applause. His first task he carried out within a week with Hamish. Together they returned to Zekar, and Asgrid personally paid the debtors what they were owed, just as the king had promised; however Hamish had chosen to remain in Paral, not wanting to leave everything behind for a second time.

Massive manhunts had then been conducted for the remaining three leaders of the now destroyed Sui Juris. Two of them, Talsend and Kenar, had been arrested in the coming months, but the other one had mysteriously disappeared. Asgrid had received word that he had soon resurfaced in Toburn, but had been swiftly executed. He now glared at the two terrified monsters kneeling in front of him. Beside him, Celia, now queen, followed his firm glare.

"I want you both to answer me truthfully. If you do, I will be...light on your sentencing. I have figured it out for myself that Sui Juris was behind the assassinations of Ausgrid and Eleanora Dreemurr. What I want to know, is who gave the order, and who carried it out?"

Both were silent for some time. It took a bang of Asgrid's fist on the side of his throne to make Kenar speak up.

"D-Dominic was the one who gave the order! T-The executions themselves were carried out b-by myself, and two members of y-your Royal Guard!"

Asgrid narrowed his eyes at the calico feline, watching his terrified expression. He shifted his glare to the alligator, Talsend.

"What of you? What was your role in all of this?"

"I was the military leader. I was tasked with leading our new forces against you, should you attempt to retake the throne," he spoke quietly.

The king nodded firmly. "Very well. Kenar, you are hereby sentenced to death by hanging for the murders of Ausgrid and Eleanora Dreemurr, immediately. Take him away."

Terrowin nodded at two of the guardsmen, and they grabbed Kenar, dragging him away as he cried out, "W-Wait! You said you'd be light on sentencing! Please! Your majesty! _Have mercy!_"

Celia glanced over to her husband's cold glare as it shifted to Talsend, who immediately looked to the floor.

Asgrid's voice was eerily calm. "Did you have any part to play in the murders of the king and queen?"

Talsend shook his head. "N-No, your highness. I was strictly in charge of military operations, nothing more."

Asgrid nodded. "Very well. You are sentenced to twenty years in the palace dungeons." Before Talsend could protest, he added on with a snarl, "Be grateful I'm not making it a _life_ sentence."

He was swiftly escorted away. Celia reached over, placing her hand on Asgrid's. "That was...a little harsh, was it not?"

"Perhaps. But in doing so, I have ensured that nobody will rise up against me again."

"I see. Well, you know my thoughts on the matter."

Asgrid nodded, thinking back on the recent events. The war had been won. He leaned into his throne, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath, then reopened them. He glanced once more to Celia, trying to put a smile on his face. His gaze once more turned forward, but as it did, he could have sworn he saw a hooded figure walking out of the room.


	16. Into The Mist

Asgrid's eyes shot open. He gasped as he clutched at his chest, shocked to find the wound had disappeared. He gazed around as he slowly stood up. He was on the edge of a riverbank, the water perfectly still. All around him a thick mist clouded everything. The only detail he could fully make out was a small bridge built of golden-hued wood crossing the river, vanishing into the obscuring fog of the far bank.

He heard a groan behind him, and turned around to see Celia. He rushed to her side, helping her up. She gazed up into his eyes, before throwing her arms around his neck. She cried onto his shoulder as Asgrid slowly embraced her too. His breath shook as the full horror of what had just happened set in.

"It's okay...I'm right here. Everything will be alright."

He fell quiet as she slowly calmed herself down, then took the time to examine their bleak surroundings.

"Are...Are we dead?" she choked out.

"It would appear so. I just...hope Asgore made it to the mountain with the others..."

"It looks a lot more...clouded than I imagined the afterlife would look…"

"I agree," His gaze turned back to the bridge. "What do you think is on the other side?"

She took his hand, looking into his eyes. "Shall we find out?"

He nodded, and the two began to walk slowly towards the bridge. Just as their feet touched it, a voice called from behind them.

"Cross that bridge, and you will miss out on your one and only chance to help your son."

They turned around, and Asgrid's jaw nearly dropped when he saw who greeted him. "You!" He exclaimed to the hooded figure, standing at the edge of the mist. Asgrid slowly approached him. "I've seen you! In my dreams...in my memories...I thought I saw you at my father's funeral...and I thought I saw you a few times during the civil war all those years ago! I need an explanation. Who...or _what_, are you?"

The Riverperson tilted his head. "All in good time. What I am doing now is offering you a choice."

Celia narrowed her eyes. "A choice of what?"

He seemed to stare past them, to the bridge. "Cross that bridge...and you will see everything you can imagine. A paradise. Some of your friends long since passed who no doubt eagerly await your arrival...your families...everything you can imagine. Or you can come with me, and become a sentinel."

"A sentinel? What are you sentinels tasked with?" Asgrid asked, skeptically.

The Riverperson chuckled. "Oh, Asgrid, that is a question that would take far too long to answer. But if you join me, you can aid your son, and your former subjects. Even when hope seems lost."

"But I will not get to see my friends and family if I go…"

"I would not say that. I know one particular friend of yours. He claims to have saved your life more than once, and he is eager to work with you again."

"Terrowin? But, he died over a thousand years ago!"

The mysterious figure chuckled. "And he has been working with me ever since, all in the hopes of seeing you again."

Asgrid slowly turned to Celia, conflict evident in his eyes. "I...I have to go with him. You and I both know that I can't stand by, even in paradise, not while my people are suffering…"

Celia nodded, bearing a resolute expression. "If you are going, then I am going too."

The Riverperson's tone became one of glee, "Wonderful! Now come, come. There is much work to be done. No dawdling now!"

The Riverperson began to hum a familiar tune as he turned around, walking away. Asgrid and Celia were quick to follow, walking away from their path to paradise, and into the shadowy mist.

* * *

_**AUTHORS NOTE**_

**And now, all the pieces of the puzzle are in place. (Soulless while still ongoing isn't as important to the overall plot.) Now we will all watch, together, as slowly everything begins to click into place for better...or for worse.**


End file.
